A Test of Time
by T. A. Gardner
Summary: Kotomi Ichinose in an after story becomes involved with characters from Traveller in an adventure on present day Earth to save the world. From a rpg played several years ago. Additional characters based on Black Lagoon, and The Magnificent Seven get involved. New opening added now.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 **Shadow**

The sleek two-seat gravcoupe returns to normal space, the Nth dimensional gateway it arrived through dims then vanishes. The driver's fingers dance over the controls. She turns the sleek gravcoupe towards the planet. She turns off power to all non-critical systems minimizing their EM signature. "Murotsu, we need to get in thermoptic suits."

" _Na olub_?" her passenger asks.

"Insufficient data. We need to get into thermoptic vac suits. The situation could be dangerous."

They head towards the small, blue and white ball of a planet.

Doctor Kotomi Ichinose sits in her lab at Cal Tech busily typing data into her computer. A small window pops open. _Shadow Alert. Anomaly detected at 02:48:29._

"Another one!" Doctor Ichinose jumps up and begins operating some nearby equipment. Status lights come on and blink here and there as she does. She turns to look at a large vacuum chamber behind her. There is a miniscule black dot floating in the center of it.

"Holding steady. Good." She rushes back to her desk and computer.

"Err! I can't get a good fix on this one." She's typing furiously. On the screen windows with data, graphs, and other information keep opening and closing rapidly.

The gravcoupe enters the planet's atmosphere. As it approaches sea level, a poor-quality audio signal comes on the vehicle's comm system. " _Moshi mo_... I mean, hello? Um, where are you? Are you one of _them_? Where are you coming from?"

Kotomi can see a grainy picture in one of the open frames on her computer now. A beautiful platinum blonde's hands are recoiling from the vehicle's controls. She rubs her fingers in her palms. It looks as if she's inside one of those high tech super cars you see on television.

The gravcoupe comes to a halt three meters off the Pacific Ocean's surface inside a rain squall.

Kotomi can hear her talking to someone else she can't see. She can't make out what they're saying. It's a foreign language she's unfamiliar with.

The woman starts operating the controls in front of her. The visual link goes blank. Kotomi twists her lip and hits the desk with her fist.

A young female voice startles her. "We do not understand who 'they' are. Request additional data. Request navigational inputs to your location."

 _It sounds as if she said it using one of those translation programs_ Kotomi thinks.

Kotomi hesitates.

"Um, I'm Kotomi Ichinose, at Cal-Tech in Pasadena California U-S-A. I'm speaking to you through my Shadow detection unit. If you're flying, I think you should head to LAX. There's no airport here. You... you are flying, aren't you? Who _are_ you?"

"We will arrive in thirty-eight minutes" the female voice replies. "You will remain where you are. We are not a threat so long as you are alone and tell no one."

The gravcoupe accelerates to over Mach two headed for the coordinates.

It sets down on the roof of the Cal Tech University building the signal originated from.

The driver puts her helmet visor down and opens the door on her side of the vehicle releasing two disc-like drones that shimmer into invisibility.

She and her passenger exit the vehicle. They touch controls on their suits, and shimmer into invisibility.

They head to Kotomi Ichinose's lab two floors below. The windowless doors are covered with safety warning signs. The blonde checks for security cameras and systems in the immediate area. Finding none, she turns off her thermoptic suit and removes her helmet. She puts her hand on the electronic security door lock. The display starts to rapidly jitter and blink. The door lock clicks open after a second. Entering the lab, she is followed by her still invisible partner.

"Hello?" she calls out in a pleasant voice. The lab is filled with electronics and computer equipment.

A young Asian female appears. Her eyes get wide seeing the woman. "How did you get in here? Wait." Kotomi points at her. "You're the woman on my Shadow detector! You're wearing a space suit!

"I am the one you contacted" she replies. "You are Doctor Kotomi Ichinose, correct?"

"Yes, that's me" Kotomi replies. "You speak English…"

"Yes. I obtained that data before arriving." The woman puts a hand on Kotomi's arm. "If you would, please, come with me. I will explain everything to you."

"Where're we going?" Kotomi asks, trying unsuccessfully to pull away.

"I will not harm you. You have my word. We will go to the roof, then somewhere secure. It is thirty-six minutes to local stellar rise. Time is short. Please…" Lori motions that they should go.

"Okay…" Kotomi says grabbing her jacket off a nearby chair. They head to head to the roof, the woman still holding Kotomi's arm.

"Who are you? What's your name?" Kotomi asks.

"I will explain, once we are at a secure location. This is not."

 _She sounds a lot like one of those talking helper programs._

They emerge onto the roof. There is a sleek, bright pink, wedge shaped vehicle that looks a lot like a large, expensive, sports car floating about a foot off the roof. The doors begin to rise as they approach it.

Kotomi stands frozen, staring. "Oh my god! That thing is right out of a sci-fi movie! You're alone? I thought there would be others."

The woman's partner uncloaks next to Kotomi holding a huge blade inches from her. " _Icsinä vä daha_!" she hisses teeth barred, motioning that Kotomi should get in the vehicle.

Kotomi stands frozen, her eyes big as saucers.

"If you would, please get in the vehicle Doctor Ichinose. I will explain once we are at a secure location. We _have_ to go, now!" The blonde pulls her by the arm, helping her into the gravcoupe.

The second woman with the blade squeezes in next to her while the blonde gets in on the pilot's side. Kotomi catches her scent and a twinge of arousal wells up inside her.

The gravcoupe lifts off. It shoots straight up. They level off in a low orbit minutes later.

"My god, we're in space!" Kotomi says, pressed against window of the vehicle.

"Correct" the blonde replies, sounding computer-like again.

"Like?" The other woman says edging closer to her.

"This is incredible!" Kotomi replies.

"Yummy. Like Girl?"

The blonde looks at her sternly snarling, " _Isk vä Döymäk!"_

Kotomi turns to face her. "What language is that?"

"Ral Rantan."

They head back into the atmosphere. Just over an hour later they land in the Atacama Desert on a salt flat.

Kotomi looks out at the lifeless landscape. "Where are we?"

The blonde brings up a holo display of the planet turning it towards her. "Here." She points at their location. "It is remote, secure, and sterile."

Kotomi shakes her head. "I can't believe it! We're in South America?"

The blonde looks confused. "Why?"

"Um, it was rhetorical."

"Understood."

They get out. The second woman sets two folding seats out. She turns on her suit and disappears. The blonde and Kotomi sit down facing each other. Kotomi shivers in the cold, thin air.

"We are from three thousand, six hundred years in your future," she begins. "We are unsure how we arrived here. That is unimportant, tactically."

Kotomi sits mouth hanging open.

"I am Kapitan Lori Sixteen of the Ginsharian Navy in the service of Mariposa. My home world, Ginshar, is three hundred and three point one eight light years distant. That measurement is familiar to you, correct?"

Kotomi nods staring at her.

"You are aware of our presence. You have become of value in assisting us." Lori stands up and takes her thermoptic suit off. "I will not harm you, but you have to answer some questions."

With her suit off, Lori is wearing a sleek, skin tight, body suit. It is a bright shade of blue that matches her eyes. The color seems to be three dimensional, shifting and flowing over her body like water. Exotic flowers appear to bloom on the suit and their petals float down it as if drifting midair above a flowing stream. With her perfect figure, long near white hair wafting gently on the breeze, and her flawless, facial features, Kotomi is mesmerized. "Wow…!"

Lori puts her hands on Kotomi's cheeks gently stroking her face. Looking into her eyes she gives her a kiss. In a sultry voice, Lori asks, "What is Shadow? I know you want to tell me all about Shadow." Lori gives her a pouting look. "I want to hear all about you and what you do. You are so fascinating. It is such a beautiful morning. Spend it telling me everything about yourself." She kisses Kotomi on the cheek.

Lori's words are irresistible. It's as if a goddess appeared before Kotomi, for her, and her alone. The world washes away and all she can see and hear is this deity named Lori. She wants Lori more than anything in the universe and would do anything she asks to have her.

Lori spends several hours "interrogating" Kotomi. Shadow, her research, her life, personality, friends, everything. Kotomi willingly tells her anything she asks.

Lori signals her partner who gives Kotomi the smallest nick with a dagger. Kotomi collapses over unconscious.

Lori looks at her partner. "She will be of further use to us."

They head back to Kotomi's lab. Arriving after dark, they land on the roof of the building. They take the still unconscious Kotomi to her lab, putting her in a chair. Lori's partner swipes a damp pad on Kotomi's arm.

The next day, Kotomi sits in her apartment trying to piece together what she did the day before. "I've never fallen asleep at work before. And, that dream I had, it was so real..."

Several days later, Lori shows up at Kotomi's lab. It seems surreal, but here's the beautiful girl in her dream wearing a snug fitting _Hello Kitty_ T-shirt, designer jeans, and heels.

She waves, smiling, at Kotomi. "Hi! I am Lori Sanparri your new graduate assistant!"

 _She's giggling like one of those vacuous liberal arts majors,_ Kotomi thinks. "I didn't ask the university for a…"

"The university _decided_ to give you one. I am it" Lori says, her smile disappearing, and sounding more computer-like. She smiles again, "Oh, I am sorry! I have a class. I have to run. Could you stop by my apartment later? We can talk where no one is listening. Here is my address." She writes out Kotomi a Post-it-Note.

"Eighteen this evening!" She hurries off.

Kotomi looks at the note.

Trio Apartments 43  
44 N. Molino Ave.  
Pasadena CA.

It looks typed. _Should I go?_ _After all, how often do you get to talk to someone from another planet?_

She takes her bicycle. Arriving at the building she feels underdressed. She rings apartment 43. The building door opens to let her in.

Lori greets her at the door with a smile. "Hello!" Moving aside she lets Kotomi in.

"How can you afford this?" Kotomi asks, looking around the apartment.

"It is best not to question things" Lori replies in her odd sounding serious, voice.

"Care for a refreshment?" Lori holds up two bottles of tea.

 _Now she sounds like a freshman again,_ Kotomi thinks.

They sit down.

"The plants will be gone tomorrow" Lori says. She points at a door. "You can have that bedroom for one hundred… Dollars. That is the correct monetary term…?"

Kotomi nods.

"One hundred dollars less than your current apartment rent, understood?"

Kotomi looks surprised. "You know where I live?"

"Yes, and what you pay for your apartment. That is a primary function for me."

"Primary function?"

"Sorry. Sometimes my… English is incorrect, being a Ginsharian. Things sometimes translate poorly. I do not mean to sound weird."

"Weird is definitely an understatement. That I'm casually talking to an Alien…"

Lori looks angry, snapping, "I am _NOT_ an Alien! I am a Ginsharian! You are a non-Ginsharian Terran. Calling me that is… how is it put here? Calling me that is to be a racist bigot. I will not call you one either."

"Sorry, I didn't mean it as an insult." Kotomi looks at the floor.

Lori picks up her school backpack and takes out something that looks like a tablet. Kotomi notices a holstered pistol, colored pink, inside. "Um, I don't mean to be nosey but I really don't like guns and here in California you can get in serious trouble for having one, especially on campus."

Lori looks very seriously at her, switching voices. "I am a Ginsharian. It is my duty to defend myself and Ginshar. The weapon _is_ necessary."

"But you could get in really serious trouble, arrested…"

"I am a Ginsharian. It is my duty to defend myself and Ginshar. The weapon _is_ necessary."

"You know, I notice sometimes you sound more like a computer than…"

Lori has the pistol out and shoved into Kotomi's chin in a lightning fast blur.  
"I AM NOT A COMPUTER! NEVER SAY THAT TO ME AGAIN!"

Kotomi is frozen, her eyes wide with terror.

Lori calms down, putting the pistol away. "Sorry." She looks at the floor. "I am sorry. Please forgive me. Please… I should have warned you, there are certain terms, words that are very insulting to Ginsharians. That is one. Doll and toy are two more," she says very softly. "Please do not use them."

Kotomi manages a smile. "Seems we both have issues. It makes us human."

"I am Ginsharian, not a Human" Lori replies in her serious voice, her brow furrowed. "My designation is Lori Sixteen. Use of Sanparri is to fit in."

"Can you tell me what the difference is Lori Sixteen?"

Lori looks at the floor, then at Kotomi. "The last time I dealt with non-Ginsharians on a prolonged basis I tried to conceal those differences. That caused problems. I will tell you, but you cannot repeat any of it to anyone, understood?"

"I don't have many friends or people I really hang out with. I spend most of my time in my lab."

"That is why I will tell you. That, and because you are now involved with us."

"Us?"

"Me and Kasakabe."

"Kasakabe?"

"You do not remember her. You will meet her again soon. I will warn you of two things with her. She is the most dangerous person you will ever meet. She is also aggressively… your term is lesbian."

"Ginsharians, what are we?" Lori smiles at Kotomi raising her T-top showing her stomach. "Notice anything?"

"You don't have a belly button!" Kotomi says.

"Correct. I am a synthetic human analog. I was manufactured, by your calendar, in the year fifty-five eighty-eight. I am designed to be an intelligence officer, pilot-navigator, and starship commander. I was specially modified for use with Kasakabe to be a…" her voice goes barely audible… "Sex doll."

Lori looks at Kotomi. "Never, repeat that to anyone, not even me! I am not like that!"

Kotomi sips her tea.

"Sorry." Lori looks at the floor. "It is…" She tries to sound more social. "As a Ginsharian I have a synthetic genetic code called Tri-Xeno Nucleic Acid or TXNA, not DNA like you."

"I have the equivalent of an extremely powerful computer and sensor system within me. This is completely natural. It is part of who I am. I can be programmed to perform functions like a computer. That is a crude description, and why it is upsetting to be called one. That is why I sound like I do."

"I can see, hear, feel, and smell, things you cannot. I have heightened strength and reflexes. I can interact with electronic devices by touch and reenergize myself, like eating food or rest for you, by drawing energy from them. I can also sense the electronic signals passing through this space."

"So you're…" Kotomi starts to say.

"Far more capable than any computer on this planet" Lori replies firmly. "I am _not,_ a cyborg, or android. There is no artificial machine added to me. Those _crude_ constructs are something I am not."

"Wow!" Kotomi says, quietly.

Lori hands the tablet she got out of her bag to Kotomi. "You are part of things. That is a perscomm. Keep it with you at all times. I will instruct you in its use at school tomorrow."

Lori reaches over and brings up a holo display. It is a mass of complex mathematics. "We need funds to function effectively. You will produce a paper… that is the correct term, is it not?"

Kotomi nods not taking her eyes off the equations.

"You will produce a paper based on these equations. I will assist you. They allow the calculation of planetary and stellar motion with respect to gravity fields, light, and several other universal forces that act on them. They will accurately predict the orbital position of a planet in a distant solar system. They are necessary for accurate navigation for Faster-Than-Light travel between stars."

"You will proof your findings using known exo-planets. I will provide additional data on those. Lori takes a small silver metal bar out and places it on the table next to Kotomi. "That is a _Sliver_. It is a form of money. It contains a microgram of the element _Oganessium_. It would be element one-twenty-six, three-twenty-one on your chart of the nuclides. It is a long lived super heavy element found near neutron stars. You will discover it."

"That should get you access to unlimited new research funding. That will allow you to fully develop the Shadow unit and assist us."

"Kasakabe and I wish to return to our home. You have the potential to make that happen. You are now part of things. You may no longer choose not to be. Understood?"

"Okay…"

" _Understood?"_

"Understood," Kotomi hesitantly replies. "Your friend, Kasakabe, what's her part in all this?"

"I will tell her I told you this. If you repeat a word of it to anyone, you are dead. That is an absolute. You _will_ die. She _will_ kill you."

"Kasakabe is a Ral Rantan assassin. She belongs to a group called the Owato Clan. In my time, she, with my assistance, was sent to kill a very powerful political figure. That is what she does."

"She can and will, if necessary or paid, kill anyone on this planet of significance. She can obtain anything we need to further our goals. She is unstoppable and she can do these things as if she was never there."

"I am specifically designed, manufactured, and programmed to facilitate and assist her in doing that. Be careful around her. She can be incredibly violent."

"For us to get home you must succeed in your research. I will assist you. We will protect you."

Lori points at the bedroom door. "That room is yours. We will fix your lease and get your things moved here. Your purpose is to produce the paper so we have sufficient funds. We need to eliminate money as a variable in the equation."

She is suddenly very sociable and smiling. "I am your graduate student Lori Sanparri and I am so happy we will be working together! Oh, you can call me Lori Sixteen when we are alone if you want."

Kotomi is surprised by the sudden switch in demeanor. "So, you can turn that on and off, being serious then friendly, like a switch?"

"Yes. A non-Ginsharian named Kai Hao calls my serious, focused mode 'Pilot Mode.' You can use that term if you like."

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Kotomi says.

Lori shakes her head 'yes.'

"What's the Sixteen for? Is that like a serial number or something?"

"No. It is the sequence of manufacture for my model. There are five Lori's in service in my own time, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Twenty, and Twenty one. My sisters and I compose Lori. Lori is immortal. That sounds weird to you does it not?"

Kotomi laughs. "Extremely weird! But, it does make sense too. What about your space ship?"

"I am impressed you remember. The gravcoupe would raise questions if we used it regularly. It has been hidden. We will use it when necessary. If we have time, I will instruct you in its operation."

"You're going to let me fly your gravcoupe?"

"Yes, once you know how to do so properly. One more question, then we are finished. Can you prepare food?"

"What? Oh… Kotomi stammers. "A little. I'm not really much of a cook."

"I am unable to perform this function. Kasakabe cannot either."

"We can always order out."

"Order out?"

"Do you have a phone?"

Lori looks confused. "Phone?"

"A communications device." Kotomi shows Lori her cell phone.

Lori pulls out her perscomm. "Yes."

"Will that even work here?"

"Yes. It can link to any communications system on this planet. The one I gave you is capable of that function. The device you have in your hand is primitive and unnecessary. It also has a tracking device within it. Dispose of it as soon as possible."

"Really?"

"Yes. Who will we be communicating with?"

"Why don't we go out and see what's nearby?"

"I do not like outdoors" Lori says in pilot voice.

"You're agoraphobic?"

"Yes, I do not like outdoors or nature."

"You can travel billions of miles through space and thousands of years through time but won't go outside to a restaurant down the street? I thought I had issues!" Kotomi says.

Lori frowns deeply. "This time."

She gets the pack, taking out a pair of what look like stylish glasses putting them on. They darken like sunglasses. "These will help with outdoors."

"Are those another of your devices like the perscomm?" Kotomi asks.

"Yes" Lori says, handing them to her.

"Oh my god, these are incredible!" There is a wealth of data and other information that Kotomi can see on the glasses once she has them on.

"You can have that pair to go with your perscomm. They work together." Lori takes out a second pair and puts them on.

"You're giving these to me?"

"Yes, you are part of things. You need to be properly equipped to function. If you touch here, you can control the tint."

Kotomi tries them out in the mirror. "They disappeared but I still have them on! This is incredible!"

"That setting will allow you to wear them without others knowing. I want mine tinted for outdoors. I do not require them for the data content as my internal systems provide that."

They walk a block from the apartment building. Finding a sushi bar, they have dinner.

Lori looks nervous. "It is programmed into every Ginsharian to be suspicious and cautious around Aliens. Sorry, I did not mean you, or that as an insult."

Kotomi pats Lori's hand. "You and I are going to have to work on our issues together. It's so cool that I finally have someone who can actually give me an intellectual challenge and is as introverted and weird as I am to talk to! You're the first person I could ever do that with."

While Lori and Kotomi were getting to know one and other, Kasakabe was off looking for contacts in the Los Angeles criminal world. She had no interest in some street level gang banger. What she wanted was professional crime bosses into big deals and serious money. Her tattoos and high tech markers that worked well in the fifty seventh century were not going to work in current day Los Angeles. She had to find other means of contact.

As night fell she got word of a rave in an old warehouse. Drug dealers would be there and she might be able to get a name to start moving up the chain to the serious leadership.

To fit in she sold a few tabs of Synphoria, a pleasure drug from her time, to patrons and drug dealers she thought were worth pursuing as contacts. One of them suggested she meet with someone called "Rascal" who was supposed to be a lieutenant in the LA Tong Asian Triad.

She decided to head back to Pasadena. It was now two a.m. She figured it was safe enough that Lori could pick her up with the gravcoupe. They decided they would meet at a shopping center next to the Harbor freeway.

As she walked there, a low rider with two men in it pulled up next to her.

"Hey bitch, what you doin' in our hood?" one of them asks.

She looks at them, her "hoodie" concealing her face, " _Qayimäk sin olmäk vä ya gräbärtmäk_ " she hisses (You cowards better flee or you're going to die sniveling worms… or something like that… a huge insult in Ral Ranta).

The passenger pulls out an automatic pistol and starts to point it at her. He gets hit between the eyes with a dagger. He drops the gun and topples over in the vehicle.

"Oh shit!" The driver starts saying repeatedly. He tries to drive off when he too is hit with a dagger. The car crashes into a street light. Kasakabe runs to the vehicle and recovers her daggers.

The driver, barely alive, looks at her. "He knows you're here…"

Kotomi's quiet world turned upside down since meeting Lori and Kasakabe. She kept telling herself, _It's all for the better. With Lori's help I'm finally getting somewhere serious with my research._ _Besides, i_ _t's nice having a friend I can talk to who doesn't think I'm crazy when I start talking about pocket universes and extra dimensions._ _Of course_ , _the first thing Lori showed me was how to prove they exist!_

Her paper on interstellar planetary motion quickly advanced to completion. In between, Kotomi improved the crude shadow detector she used to find Lori. The perscomm and glasses Lori gave her made it possible to use the device anywhere.

Kotomi is showing Lori her latest version of the detector. "You weren't the first anomalies I detected," Kotomi says. "I found my first one over two years ago, but I could never get a good fix on it." She shows the display to Lori. "It still shows up, but as you can see, it could be almost anywhere in Asia or the Far East."

"The second one I found was in Peru. I told a couple of my colleagues about it. They weren't real supportive. About a month later it disappeared and shortly afterwards I got a research grant. Then a new anomaly showed up in Colorado about a month later. That's the first one I met."

Lori tilts her head slightly. "Your colleagues, what are their names?"

Kotomi continues her story. "The guy in Boulder's insane. I've visited him twice testing the shadow detector. He's psychotic and schizophrenic. I would've gone to Peru too but the university wouldn't fund me. They think my research is mostly a waste of time." Kotomi frowns. "I don't make enough to go there on my own."

"Would going to Peru help your research?" Lori asks.

"Another confirmed anomaly would help me build a more accurate model."

"Then we will go to Peru" Lori replies.

Kotomi looks surprised. "We will? You can afford the airline tickets and a hotel?"

"We will take the gravcoupe."

Kotomi gets a huge smile, wiggling. "We're going into space too, right?"

"Yes."

That evening they arrive at the apartment to find Kasakabe home. She has "acquired" a BMW for them. Kotomi is stunned by her having a briefcase full of cash.

"I told you she would procure what we need" Lori says as she sits down to watch a "vid."

They sit at the small dining table. It is Thai from a restaurant down the street. Kasakabe starts to pour everyone more Vodka.

Kotomi pouts, "I really don't like to drink."

"Kay" Kasakabe replies, reaching over and downing Kotomi's glass.

Kotomi looks disgusted. Kasakabe sticks her tongue out in response.

"Kasakabe can control how alcohol affects her. I am immune to it" Lori says. "Kasakabe, do not force Kotomi to drink. Understood?"

"You know, when I see stories on the news about an unsolved murder I wonder if you're involved every time now…" Kotomi says.

Kasakabe holds up three fingers, hissing with a big grin. "All start, all deserve. All DIE!"

Kotomi shudders. 

Lori brought the gravcoupe from its hiding place, landing it on the roof. They are getting into environmental suits.

Lori is by the dining table. She opens a small case in front of her. Streams of vapor roll out it. She removes a small vial of clear liquid. Kotomi stops struggling with the bright red suit Lori gave her, and watches what she is doing closely.

Lori takes the vial, holds it arm's length, and comes to attention. "To life and Ginshar as one!" She drinks the vial returning it to arm's length for a moment before placing it back in the case and closing it. She turns to see Kotomi watching her. She closes the case.

Kotomi waddles over. "Lori, are you sick?"

Lori looks at the floor, then at Kotomi. "What you witnessed is a ceremony I do every… Saturday. In my time, it is a drug taken by individuals to extend their life. It stops aging. It is not addicting."

"For Ginsharians, it is a necessity of life. We do it as a ceremony together to make sure everyone takes their dose properly. I am programmed to do that. My genetics require I take a dose each week. If I do not, I will die from runaway mutation of my genome."

"I have a two-year supply with me so I am not in danger of running out, yet. The chemical list I gave you are the precursors to make more. I will have to make more if I am to live past two years here."

"I priced those" Kotomi replies. "Some of them are incredibly expensive. But then, I didn't know you might die if you didn't get them."

"Money is not a variable," Lori replies. "Kasakabe can get the chemicals if necessary. Making it in a zero-gee environment is the problem. The only one I have is the gravcoupe. You need to finish getting your suit on. We need to leave."

"Lori, I want to help. I want to help _you_. I owe you so much now."

"You owe us nothing if you can get us home. We have to go. Stellar rise is approaching."

They make their way to the roof. The gravcoupe sits, doors open. A rush of adrenaline wipes away Kotomi's sleep deprived exhaustion. They get into the vehicle with Lori piloting.

"I feel like a real astronaut!" Kotomi exclaims as they shut the doors.

"You are" Lori says. "This will be your second trip into space."

Four hours later they hover at ten thousand meters in a cloud bank over the Andes in Peru. The gravcoupe rocks slightly buffeted by a strong wind.

"Seal suits" Lori says in pilot voice.

Kasakabe checks Kotomi's to make sure she did it right.

Lori turns the vehicle to shield her side from the wind. Opening the door on her side slightly she drops out two small disk shaped drones.

"What are _those_?" Kotomi asks.

"Surveillance drones," Lori replies pilot voice. "No surprises."

"Get back, go swim pool?" Murotsu says.

"Understood!" Lori says with a big smile. "I love swim, ever since Zan showed it to me!"

Kotomi looks at them like they are nuts.

The drones survey the area around a small lake and valley below them. After an hour of searching they find nothing. Lori takes the gravcoupe down.

Kotomi gathers some soil samples and Kasakabe spends an hour searching.

"There was a recent impact here" Lori says.

"My detector keeps showing this is an anomaly" Kotomi replies showing Lori the display.

Arriving back Kasakabe tells them, "One, two person last few day. Nothing here."

They head back to Pasadena.

A Boeing 767 headed inbound from Hawaii to LAX is flying through light clouds. Below and the sky is clear and bright.

"Yea, I'll be glad to have a few days off..." the pilot says.

Out of nowhere, a bright pink "flying Ferrari" loops the plane pulling up near the cockpit windows. A hot blonde and a good looking Japanese woman smile and wave at the air crew. The vehicle has a California license plate on the back of it. The air crew stares slack jawed. Seconds later the vehicle rolls upside down and shoots away so rapidly it is out of sight in seconds.

The pilot and co-pilot look at each other. "I don't know about you Ted but I _am not_ about to admit I saw that!" the pilot says.

The co-pilot looks at him. "Me neither, but you've got to admit those were two really hot girls in that, whatever-it-was!"

"That was fantastic!" Kotomi exclaims.

That evening Kotomi checked her e-mails at the university and found that she had gotten approval and travel funding to go to Boulder Colorado in a few days to check that anomaly.

"Need protection?" Kasakabe asks.

A chill runs up Kotomi's spine.

"You will not be needed" Lori interjects. "It is university research and I can escort Kotomi."

"Kay, good!" she replies. "Have fight… MMA!"

"MMA?" Lori asks.

"It's called cage fighting or something like that" Kotomi interjects.

"Understood. It is hand to hand combat. Have fun Kasakabe."

"All DIE!"

Kotomi makes reservations for them. "Lori, you can't bring a gun with you. The airport security _will_ arrest you in a second if you do."

"Unacceptable" Lori replies, "I am a Ginsharian…"

" _You_ _can't_ take a gun on an airplane!" Kotomi says, shaking her hand at her. We'll get arrested!

"Kasakabe, are you using your _magic box_?"

"No, need?"

"Yes" Lori replies. "The security system Kotomi has described is primitive, but it will be best if I do not take chances."

" _Magic box?"_ Kotomi asks.

Murotsu gets up and goes to her jacket. She takes a roughly 20cm x 20cm x 2 cm thick, dull silver, metal, item out handing it to Kotomi.

"Magic box. Open."

Kotomi examines it for a moment then opens it. Inside is a variant of the perscomm Lori gave her. It is very light, far lighter than it looks. "Okay, what's the secret? It looks like one of your perscomms in a portable computer case."

Kasakabe takes it and presses two of the keys. There is a soft click and the perscomm swings up. She hands it back to Kotomi.

The surface underneath is slivery and seems to swim and shimmer.

"Put your hand in" Lori says.

Kotomi does and keeps putting it in up past her elbow. "How?" She looks at the little box surrounding her arm, moving in and out of it.

"We do not understand how it works" Lori says. "In our time, it is considered _Ancient_ technology made by a now extinct race."

"It's a stable, portable, pocket universe! Oh… My… God! They really exist! This is incredible! If I can duplicate this in the lab!"

Kotomi jumps up and hugs them. "Thank you, thank you, for showing me this!"  
She continues to examine and play with the box. Lori finally takes it from her.

"I will take it with my weapons inside. It will go through the security scans."

Kotomi and Lori leave for Boulder. At the security check point Lori shudders as she goes through the metal detector. The box goes through the x-ray machine. The operator tells one of the guards she can't see inside it so he makes Lori open it. It has Cal-Tech stickers on the outside.

"It is my laptop computer" Lori tells him as she opens it, touching him on the hand.

She shows him the perscomm, turning it on. "Nothing special."

"Yea, but you are" he replies staring at her, mouth falling open.

Lori looks very upset. "Are you implying something? I want to see a supervisor!"

He makes a lunge for her.

More security people and a supervisor rush over.

"This man made sexually suggestive statements to me." Lori says. "He tried to grab me."

"I so want to do you right here!" He starts to lunge at her again.

The other workers grab him hauling him off. The supervisor apologizes profusely sending Lori and Kotomi on their way.

As they walk up the ramp to the gate Kotomi turns to Lori. "You know, you can be really rotten sometimes."

On the plane, they are seated with a thirty-something slightly sweaty guy between them. Kotomi has the window seat, Lori the aisle. They try to exchange seats so they are together but he makes excuses. He tries to start a conversation with Lori.

"Eeewww!" she replies without looking at him. "Talk to me again or touch me and I will get you arrested."

Kotomi is no more willing. "You'll get arrested if you bother us."

He notices that both girls have computers and are working on stuff that looks really complex. "Are you two rocket scientists or something?"

"I'm a physicist at Cal Tech." Kotomi says sarcastically, " _S_ _he's_ the rocket scientist."

"Yes, I am an astrophysics and rocketry scientist." Lori says in 'pilot voice,' wrinkling her nose in disgust. "You are eeewww. Leave us alone."

17


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **Problems**

At the apartment, a man with the moves of a trained domestic comes to the door. "Miss Kasakabe?" He hands something to her in that way that is so smooth it's in her hand before she knows it and the man, with a vaguely Asian cast, is headed away. It's nothing but a rolled up bit of paper.

A business card made of thin gold flutters out, along with a photo of Kasakabe murdering a man.

She looks at the card:

We know who you are.  
Behave yourself until we contact you again  
or you will be erased.  
Send correspondence to Room 100  
The Warwick Hotel, Ceung Chau Island  
Hong Kong, China

Kasakabe ducks back into the apartment. She puts the hood on her top up and checks the grav belt she is wearing, then sets off the smoke detector. The building fire alarms come on.

Opening the sliding door, she steps onto the deck outside the apartment. Using her grav belt she leaps the fifty feet across Molino Ave to the top of the theater across the street. Crossing the roof at a run she drops off the far side into the alley below.

Getting out her perscomm to contact Lori, she transmits the information on the card adding in Ral Ranta, _Stupid man. Negotiate first. Threat later. No idea who Owato is._

She focuses on the scene at her apartment door. Details of the man who left the card is what she wants.

"Problem?" Kotomi asks, seeing Lori's expression.

"The person who left this card…" Lori shows Kotomi the perscomm display, "wants to start a war with Kasakabe. This is bad. She has a very strict code of honor. That is something you do not do with her unless you are prepared to go to war. "I will try to contact whoever this is. If we can negotiate we might avoid a lot of deaths."

The Asian man hurries to his vehicle parked in the lot on the other side of the theater.

Kasakabe sees him coming through the alley between the theater and weight loss center. She turns on her thermoptics, pulls out two foot long blades, and using her psionic skills heightens her strength and agility, then fades.

Bounding out of her hiding spot, she sprints at him. He can see a shimmer, like a heat wave, moving at him very fast. As she reaches him she shoves one blade through his chest. It explodes out his back. She pirouettes pulling out that blade in a spray of blood, as the other slices him at the waist all but in half. He topples over as puddle of blood forms around his body. She hears the sound of sirens.

Kasakabe sprints around the corner slowing to a walk. She walks towards Walnut Street. She stops along the way to turn her thermoptics off without being observed. Heading over to Lake Avenue, she catches a bus taking it to Washington Avenue where she gets off and holes up in an empty building.

Lori opens a comm link using a secure military network connecting the answering party to it. She 'dives' into the comm link to 'swim' back to the source using her organic electronics. She can sense her location relative to the planet using GPS signals, but cannot see who is on the phone at the other end. There are several male voices. She listens to them for a moment then severs her connection.

"Is Kasakabe alright?" Kotomi asks.

"Yes" Lori replies. "I will clean things up when we return."

The next day they go to the facility. It is outside Boulder in a secluded location. Kotomi and Lori met with the anomaly man's doctor.

"Miss Ichinose, back again?" the doctor asks.

"Yes. This is my grad student Lori Sanparri. I wanted her examine him" Kotomi replies.

"Here's his file," the doctor says, handing a folder to Lori.

She flips through the pages quickly, placing the folder on top of a computer tower next to the doctor, leaving her hand there. "He is an amnesiac and has no history that can be acquired from personal data or DNA? Is this correct?"

"Yes, he's paranoid and sometimes psychotic. Doctor Ichinose found him using some of her specialized equipment. That's how we got involved. I'll take you down to his room and you can see for yourself."

They follow the doctor. Lori looks at Kotomi with a stern face. She subtly shakes her head "no."

At the room there is a man lying on a hospital bed in soft restraints. There is an IV in his arm. He tosses about a little, muttering.

His gaze fixes on Lori. "You!" He lurches upright dislodging several of the straps.

The doctor turns and calls for help. "I think you should leave."

"He's back! Get out of my head!" the man screams.

The window in the room explodes in a shower of glass. The IV comes out of his arm and flies to a far corner of the room. A small chest of drawers starts to come apart. Items in the room start to levitate around him.

"Kotomi, we need to leave, NOW!" Lori shouts over a low roar building in the room. She grabs Kotomi and heads for the door. Lori pulls a pistol from her purse.

The doctor is trying to get out too but becomes entangled in monitor cords that fly from the man to wrap around him. "Help me!"

Kotomi screams, frozen, staring at him. Lori pushes her out of the room. Security men and medical technicians run past. They ignore the girls.

At the nurse's station Lori stops and does something to one of the computers. She supports Kotomi towards an exit. More people run towards the room.

In their car, Lori tends to Kotomi. "Are you damaged? You are functional, correct?" She puts her pistol and other "toys" back in the magic box, then casually drives away. No emergency vehicles appear.

"Kotomi, what organization operates that facility?"

They flew back to California the next day. Kotomi checked the news. There were reports the facility was badly damaged. A government spokesmen said there had been an "industrial accident" involving "chemicals." He said the cause was being investigated and the number of dead was unknown.

The next story is about an incredibly vicious computer zero day virus that has taken down several large networks and is feared to be spreading worldwide. The only known solution for it is reformatting and reloading an infected system from a pre-infection backup. Kotomi sat on the couch in shock.

Lori covered up the incident at the apartment with Kasakabe, making it look as if someone had broken into her apartment while she and her roommate were out of town.

A government agent stopped by the apartment. Kotomi sobbed when he started asking questions. Lori said she was her grad assistant, playing "dumb blonde." He didn't stay long. "You saw nothing, and it better stay that way."

 **NSA Headquarters**

A man in a suit sits at a desk looking at pictures of Doctor Kotomi Ichinose and her assistant Lori Sanparri. He thumbs through a thin dossier on them.

Kasakabe and Lori became worried about Kotomi's state.

Lori hugs Kotomi. "Kotomi, tomorrow is Saturday. I promised to give you a lesson flying the gravcoupe. We should do that."

When they returned late in the afternoon Kotomi could not stop laughing over their buzzing an airliner. "Lori's flying scared me so badly I peed myself."

Kasakabe, waves a hand at her. "Do me too! Lori do that everybody."

"Thank you." Kotomi hugs Lori. "I feel a lot better now."

They are having take-out.

"I freaked out over Colorado and you handled it like that sort of thing happens every day" Kotomi says. "Now, we're having take-out because you refuse to walk a block outside to a restaurant!"

Kasakabe waves a hand back and forth. "All crazy! Different crazy! All crazy, crazy! Hong Kong?" Kasakabe asks as she slams down a glass of vodka.

"Yes, we have to go" Lori replies.

"We're going to Hong Kong?" Kotomi asks.

"No. You need to stay here and complete the paper" Lori replies. "We will go."

"I speak Japanese and Chinese, neither of you do. I can work on the paper on my laptop" Kotomi says, arms crossed.

"Understood. Can you make _airplane_ reservations?"

Kotomi frowns. "We're not taking the gravcoupe?"

"No. Unnecessary risk" Lori replies.

"We buzzed an airliner yesterday!" Kotomi replies.

"I studied that situation watching Terran vids. They discussed Unidentified Flying Objects and Aliens, and how these are dismissed. It was certain the crew of the airplane would not be believed" Lori says mechanically.

Kotomi looks stunned, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Kotomi, make sure we do not have to go in that part of the airplane with sweaty _Aliens,_ please," Lori asks, now sociable again.

"Oh, how am I going pay for this? They'll want a card or something."

Lori turns to get her school bag. As she does, Kasakabe produces a credit card like a magic trick.

Kotomi eyes the card. "That isn't stolen or anything is it?"

Kasakabe laughs. "Learn good! Lori get. Come yesterday. Lori calalli, calalli computer!"

Kotomi takes the card. "Okay, I'll make the reservations after dinner. When are we leaving?"

"Salamat!" Kasakabe exclaims, downing a big gulp of vodka.

Kotomi cringes.

"Salamat means, 'To victory,' it is a Ral Ranta toast, and a greeting," Lori replies.

Kotomi laughs. "Next you'll have me learning Klingon!"

"Klingon?" Lori looks at Kotomi brow furrowed.

Lori and Kotomi came up with an excuse to travel to Hong Kong. They are going to share research on quantum optics associated with Kotomi's work at Cal Tech with a university there.

Lori mastered reading and writing Chinese fluently in a matter of days. "I was designed with that capacity" she says, in pilot voice to Kotomi. "I need to hear it spoken more before I can be fluent."

"It's probably better you're only so-so at it, Kotomi replies. "That makes you more believable, looking like an American, than if you speak it like a native."

During the flight Lori and Kotomi work on her paper.

Turning her perscomm towards Kotomi, Lori says quietly, "Sorry, I cannot use the holo display due to the presence of _Aliens."_

"The 'drive' creates an artificial gravity well. It is a four dimensional construct." She shows Kotomi the display. "It looks like this in three dimensions."

"The drive?" Kotomi asks.

"Sorry, I cannot explain how the drive works in detail as I was not designed to be an engineer" Lori replies. "These are basic drawings and diagrams of one…"

"For FTL travel, time is a constant. The strength of the field generated by the drive determines the 'depth' of the well. This is necessary due to the differences in time dilatation between star systems. The stronger the drive, the deeper the well created, and the further the ship goes faster than light. The most powerful drives can generate a well that is about eighteen to twenty light years deep. That is the limit to how far you can stretch a gravity field. Time dilation requires the ship to be outside any large gravity well. Only micro gravity can be present, as it is a constant. This is the reason your Shadow unit does not function properly."

"The ship moves through the well in fourth dimensional space and at the far end the well collapses and it returns to normal space. Seven standard days' time elapses regardless of the well's depth. These are the basic formulas." Lori covers the display with incredibly complex mathematics.

"The 'well' is represented as an elliptic parabolic feature and is, mathematically, a series of geometric curves in space solved as a vector product matrix that converts the four dimensions to a real time, three dimensional construct. The points of this construct are solved as orthogonal curvilinear coordinates or as Laplacian spherical coordinates" she tells Kotomi.

Kotomi looks carefully at the screen. "So, I'd solve the matrix as an integration combining the points of the coordinates?"

"Correct" Lori replies smiling.

"Once you explained how gravity works it's really quite simple." Kotomi hugs Lori. "You saved me at least ten years of work, and I'd have never thought to use Einstein's equations with time as a constant! That information on inductive string theory and universal resonance was incredible! So, what's the next step?"

Later in the flight, Kotomi is looking at the diagrams of the jump drive Lori showed her. _If I could make a drive…!_ She shivers.

Their flight arrived in Hong Kong mid-afternoon. They took a cab to the Imperial Hotel in Kowloon. Kotomi managed to cajole Lori into going, with Kasakabe, to a Tappanyaki restaurant two blocks from the hotel. "They have _real_ Kobe beef!"

Lori tries hers. "This is just like cube seventy-three on Ginshar! This restaurant is so clean and the austere lines make me feel comfortable."

The lobby is crowded when they return to the hotel. They get into an elevator with a half dozen other people. A young man wearing bi-focal glasses steps back at the last second when he sees Kasakabe. He has a horrified expression on his face. She 'reads' him.

As they get off the elevator, Kasakabe says "Spy. Saw lobby."

Lori ran an extensive sweep for surveillance gear on the room. She found one poorly installed listening device.

 **First trip to** **Cheung Cheu Island**

Kotomi and Lori headed out to HKUST with their gear. Two hotel porters helped load it in the cab that Lori randomly selected. Kasakabe remained at the hotel to guard the room.

At the university the day went by quickly. Kotomi's new equations impressed everyone and they set up an experiment to test them. Lori and Kotomi were back at the hotel by 5 pm. Kasakabe left to go on her reconnaissance mission.

Lori digs two yellow packages covered with numbers out of their gear. Handing one to Kotomi she says, "We will eat here tonight."

"What's this?" Kotomi asks.

"That is a Ginsharian food pack. The contents are listed on the package. Past experience with non-Ginsharians tells me you will find it an exceptionally good meal."

"So… These numbers are Ginsharian?"

"Yes, Ginsharian is an octal numeric language," Lori replies, opening hers.

Kasakabe took the #5 ferry to Cheung Cheu Island. The ferry arrived shortly after sunset. Getting off, she walked up Tung Wan Road towards the Warwick Hotel. At a convenient location she released the RATS, checking that Lori had control of them. She finds a spot near the hotel where she can sit hidden and look it over. She returned to Kowloon the next morning.

Lori plugs what Kasakabe got into Kotomi's Shadow system getting a biological map of Hong Kong. People appear as grains of sand. Lori points at one grain that looks like a diamond located where they are. Then they look at Cheung Chau. There are two more of these diamond anomalies, very close to each other.

Lori calls the gravcoupe flying it on autopilot using a suborbital trajectory then digs her laser carbine out of the "magic box" and has Kotomi hand her the battery for it from one of the crates they brought.

Lori tells Kasakabe, "One or more of our enemies is psionic. Unrestricted use of force is recommended. Protocols for psionics are in effect."

Lori turns towards Kotomi pointing the laser carbine at her. She has one of her hand held surveillance devices out. "Are you part of this? Are you with them? Be honest, this device will detect a lie and that will get you killed."

 **The second trip**

The Warwick hotel is not crowded. Two men on the top floor catch Lori's attention. They have comm gear, telescopes, binoculars, and feed from live Cams on the street. Then Lori finds somebody has trapped a RATS.

Its south of Kasakabe's position, in an alley off Hill Side Road. Due to how it is trapped she goes to take care of it. She enters a courtyard with an old two story building on one side of it. An old man sits by the building with the RATS in a tub of water, pressing it down with a metal rake.

Kasakabe turns off her thermoptics and raises her helmet visor. She appears out of thin air. That gets no response. Kasakabe and the old man look at each other.

He signals there are three men behind her, something her Head-Up Display confirms. A man opens a window above the wide double doors to the building, a crossbow held casually in one hand. Two men come out a doorway, wearing Western "sweats," holding weapons just out of sight. Another man appears in a back corner with a wooden staff. One of the two that stepped out of the doorway says something to the man on the stool... Something harsh and dismissive, barely looking at him.

Kasakabe grins evilly at the old man. "Salamat!"

As she does, she fades hard, heightens her strength and agility as much as she can, and turns her thermoptics on, shimmering into invisibility.

Without moving anything but her left arm she throws in lightning fast succession two daggers at the man with the staff. She knows even a small nick, and the neurotoxin on them will finish him in a matter of seconds. As the second dagger leaves her hand she turns and sprints towards the men in the doorway. For her, the world stands still.

One of them has a flexible weapon and does an under-hand flick at the old man who slides off his stool sideways, flipping it up to catch the tip of the weapon. As he does, he rolls on the ground snatching up two pebbles snapping them at the man with the crossbow. They hit and he goes down screaming.

Kasakabe notices that out of the corner of her eye. Her attention is on the two men in front of her. The second man has a pistol-like device in his right hand. It's a bulky thing that has a pilot-light burning at the muzzle. His left hand is covered with a rubber glove textured to look like leather, and studded with copper nodes, a zap glove.

All five thugs hiss at Kasakabe in unison, "Zählä tökän." It's Ral Rantan for _intruder._

Kasakabe reaches the lead guy. His chain sword is sprawled out towards the old man and there is no room for him to reset for a shot at her. One of her blades plunges into his chest, the other takes off his right arm below the shoulder. He falls away from her.

Kasakabe turns to attack the second man. He blindly sprays her with his flame weapon. He cannot completely make out her position because of the thermoptics but manages to catch her helmet covering it in flames. He tries to hit her with the zap glove.

Ignoring the flames, she continues past him pirouetting as she goes, arms out with blades. Kasakabe isn't completely sure where he is as the flames have blotted out the thermal vision on the head up display of the suit. She tears him nearly in two with a twelve inch blade that cuts through his right arm, then chest, spine and comes out his left side.

She can feel the hit. His upper torso and head topple over backwards leaving the rest of his body standing as it was. Blood sprays everywhere ruining the thermoptic camouflage of her suit. As the blade comes free she pulls her left one in and uses the free hand to remove her helmet so she can see. The flames on it dying out as she drops it to the floor.

Rage shows on her face. "Korxaklar punji ölmäk!" (Die you sonofabitch cowards!).

Two of the remaining three bad guys head for her with extendible batons, one male, and one female. The third is after the old man, who rolled under a cart next to him. The clutter of the courtyard slows them.

As they reach Kasakabe they strike at her with their batons. She parries the man. With her other blade she cuts the woman's baton wielding arm off at the elbow. Kasakabe wraps her arm around the guy's twisting with all her enhanced strength dislocating his shoulder and nearly tearing his arm off. He screams like little girl.

Ignoring the woman, who is trying to pick up her severed arm, Kasakabe rips his throat wide open to the spine still locked to his arm. He makes a last attempt to hit her with his baton. She tries to block the attack letting go of his arm. Her block catches his hand end on and cuts through his hand and arm half way to the elbow. His baton hits her over the head, with reduced force and for an instant she sees stars. The old man throws another pebble that splashes into the left ear of the last thug.

Kasakabe rubs her head as she walks over to the old man, bowing to him. She claps her hands twice, "Sizin äcadalari sizä izläyä bilärsiniz." (May your ancestors always watch over you.)

He looks up at her. From this close he's a horrible and fascinating sight. His age is hard to guess. " _He_ is interested in you, Kasakabe. _That_ is not a good thing." He gets to his feet brushing himself off.

"Who interest? How know?"

"I am Pariah, a herald of sorts, but an interloper too. We haven't much time, where are your friends? Merrin will be after them."

"Hotel," Kasakabe replies. She taps her chest. "How know"

"I know you because an insane Ancient with mind-reach has been watching you since your arrival here. My only gift is, I can read his mind without being noticed. But, I can't control it. That is why time is short young lady. I wanted to get these people before they could get to you. I'm sorry, I failed. You're rather slippery when you want to be, eh?" He glances at her suit with the ghost of a smile.

Police whistles sound and the pounding of boots on pavement come towards them.

"Time has run out, damn."

Kasakabe grabs her helmet and other items. "Go. Lead, 'kay?"

He looks around. "Call your friends." He starts up the hill towards the road.

Lori sets the gravcoupe down in an alley near the courtyard. Kasakabe and Pariah arrive. Four people squeeze into two-seater, Kotomi gets wedged behind the seats. Pariah points out an island in the South China Sea and they set down deep in the interior an hour later. They stand beside the vehicle, stretching.

Pariah fixes Kotomi with a bottomless stare, "Whatever you hear, whatever conclusions you make, you must know that this was not your fault. What you did was with the purest intentions and something wicked took advantage of it."

Kotomi looks nervous. "We should have some tea. Is that a good idea? I'll make some. I have some really good green tea in my bag in the car."

Kotomi makes tea, and they sit.

Pariah leads the conversation. "Something came through, well several somethings, with your brave experiment, the one that saved that little family."

"These two," he glances at Lori and Kasakabe and another warrior, a Ronin, came through too. Boulder was no accident. Merrin made that happen. His true name is Mekratrig Kirin." He says that with a strange accent. " _Never_ say his true name out loud or he will destroy you."

"His title is The Great Grey Emperor of Lista, the Killer of Kali and the Bane of the Streegoi, founder of the Ulistarri Throne. He's... not from here. Yes, he **is** _Ancient_ , and psionic. He's also insane. Worse, he knows what's happening to him. I can't imagine a more horrible fate for an Ancient."

"He's looking for a world to make an example of. Not to destroy it, but to torture it for its wicked ways until the soul-scream of its people echoes through the multi-verse and turns people of other worlds from the path of wickedness and gives all other worlds the nudge they need into true goodness and righteousness. His wanderings brought him here."

Lori tilts her head and looks at him. "I am not familiar with the names and locations you referenced. Are these within known space?"

"I don't think you or he are from our universe but an alternate one" Kotomi says.

Pariah looks intensely at Kotomi. "His home world is one that travels contra-wise to universal expansion. It's hard to explain, but that world has been known to breach dimensional membranes. It's also a matter of when as much as where. He observed the process then learned to duplicate it with the power of his mind." He looks at Kasakabe, "Do you know what an Ancient is?"

"Punji... Bastard... Useless man" Kasakabe hisses.

Lori replies, "I have general knowledge of what an Ancient is, no specifics. If I showed you a star map of this portion of this galaxy could you locate that world on it?"

"No, I lack the skill to do that, and it would mean nothing at any rate. He won't return there. He left disgraced."

"He is defective?"

"Lori, we're talking about a mind that has been fully actualized in the Psionic arts. His sanity was mauled in a way that cannot be reversed. What more can I say?"

Lori replies, "This Ancient is very dangerous. More data is required. Do you have specific recommendations?"

"Recommendations? I have just one. Prove to him this is not the world he's looking for. Find a way to prove that this world is not hopeless, that the Human race is not irredeemably flawed."

"He has a code he adheres to. It says he must give you a chance. That chance is real, but fleeting. _He_ will be the one that decides in the end. My job was to let you know what is happening, and to help where I can."

"Understood." Lori stares at Pariah. "Kasakabe and I are not of this world. You know that." She turns to Kotomi. "This is your battle. How can we help you win?"

Pariah nods. "He took direct action against you because he wants this to be humanity's fight. He has the ability to mentally dominate a score of people at a time. Those people you faced did not negotiate because Merrin controlled them. He is not swayed by arguments, only actions."

"Even though all this has me terrified, I get the idea," Kotomi replies. "There's this evil Ancient guy who wants to enslave this planet and torture us. He's crazy and we have to find a way to stop him."

He shrugs. "I've lived and died seventy one times averting his menace, helping people in what ways I can. But, I've rarely seen a world so primed, so close to what he is looking for. Change the facts, as he sees them, and you'll be safe."

Pariah leans forward towards Kotomi looking her closely in the eyes. "Humanity will be free to be the worst they can be. Once he takes his last steps, humanity will know war un-ending, power, glory, ruin, misery, and endless frustration and outrage. They'll also never know a moment's peace."

"There's a man on this island that can help you. He can shelter you if you help defend his family. If you stay with him, you'll have a grace period. Go down that trail and find a man named Damien Vanoy. He's rather strict about honoring a deal. You should leave your vehicle here."

As the sun comes up, they head down the trail. Lori makes every effort to avoid touching plants and other things as they go. More than once she uses her laser carbine to sear down all the foliage so she won't have to interact with it. She keeps her thermoptic environmental suit fully closed.

Kotomi asks, as Lori lasers down some foliage, "Do you have to do that? I mean really? It's like you don't even want to touch the leaves!"

"I do not want to interact with this Alien life" Lori replies.

Kotomi looks at the ground. "I'm sorry for chiding you like that. It must be hard for you to be in such an _Alien_ environment."

"It is hard for non-Ginsharians to take Ginshar." Lori replies. "I apologize for threatening you at the hotel. I was doing as programmed."

"I know," Kotomi replies. "Both of you have been trying so hard to help and now with this Merrin situation and…" she starts crying. "What am I supposed to do?"

Lori looks at Pariah. "Why did Merrin involve us? It makes no strategic or tactical logic. By doing so, Merrin opened up the possibility of his defeat. This would have been unlikely, even impossible, if I and Kasakabe were not involved."

Kotomi's face is one of shocked surprise. "Lori's absolutely right! If he wanted maximum chaos and disorder getting anyone or thing involved that could prevent that is… It's insane!"

Pariah looks at Kotomi. "They are catalysts for good or evil. It is up to you to choose and then take the impossible and turn it into a chance for life. You are not alone. Look to that which you would save, all the strength you'll ever need is right there. This is a game to him. No, wrong word. A test. Other worlds have passed."

"Time is running out, you need to meet these people. They are leaving soon." He points out a villa and lets the girls walk past. Except for Kasakabe.

"How do you kill him?" He looks impatient and a little disappointed. "Forget about his weaknesses, use his _strengths_ against him. Do that, young lady, and you'll never have doubts about yourself again."

Kasakabe takes her eyes off him for the briefest moment, and he's gone.

At the base of the trail they come to a villa with a group of over a dozen children and two adults. They turn to meet the girls, doing it in a way that makes it certain that they are armed.

The lone male adult looks at them. He's talking on a cell phone. "Yes, they just arrived." He smiles at Kotomi. "He's going to have to tell me how he manages these miracles someday."

"Relax everyone." He steps forward nodding to the girls. "I'm Damien Vanoy. I hear you need help with a science project, and can compensate me by protecting my family. Seems that we have things to talk about."

Lori's laser carbine and their thermoptic suits get odd looks from the adults and older kids. "They look like astronauts" one of the kids says.

Lori bows slightly, clicking her heels. "Mister Vanoy, I am _Kapitan_ Lori Sixteen, of the Ginsharian Navy, on detached service to Mariposa. This is Kasakabe and Doctor Kotomi Ichinose. We were told by a man named Pariah that you could help with the situation we are in."

Damien nods. "I know who Pariah is, and since he vouches for you, you can travel with us. We're about to head home."

The adult female in the group steps between Lori and Damien. "I'm Kim Vanoy, Damien's wife. Just like that you're going to join us? I don't think so. I think we need more than your word on who the hell you are and where you're from."

Kotomi is surrounded by half a dozen kids ranging from 8-16 years old. The older ones hang back flanking them with wary eyes and one hand in a pocket.

Kasakabe is left alone initially. She feels a slight tug on her sleeve and looks down to see a six-year-old Caucasian boy. "Are you a space marine?"

Kasakabe stares at the kid. "Lori, where home?"

"Excuse me" Lori says to Damien and his wife. She looks at the position of the sun. They can tell she's thinking. She turns and points low at the Western sky.

"Accounting for the difference in time and rates of motion relative to the speed of light, Ginshar is three hundred and three point one six light years at that position and Durne is point eight seven degrees to the right of that, down four radians, using local units of measurement, at a distance of two hundred fifty four point seven three light years. The time displacement is three thousand five hundred and ninety seven point eight two one years on the Julian calendar. That is where I and Kasakabe are from. Kotomi is from Japan and resides in California in the nation of United States."

It is _abundantly_ clear from the 'pilot voice' Lori is using and her expression that she is not human.

Lori turns back to Kim and Damien, as if she'd never said all that, "Would it be acceptable to bring our transportation here before we leave? It will take six minutes twelve seconds. I prefer not to be outdoors. It will also prove who we are."

One of the kids is diligently typing everything Lori said into his tablet. The rest gather around Lori in rapt fascination. They look awed.

"She's like Haruhi's friend Yuki, but much prettier!" one says.

Damien raises an eyebrow. "By all means, summon your chariot. I can't wait to see this."

The gravcoupe arrives overhead, then descends until it is a foot off the ground. The doors open by themselves.

The children start saying, "ooo" and "ahh".

Damien and Kim stand frozen, mouths agape.

A young boy nudges Damien. "Hey pops, looks like she has your Ferrari beat."

Another says, "They are space marines!"

"Shut up and get the Vans, it's daylight!" Damien roars, waving his arms.

He turns to Lori. "We need to talk, but first we need to make you people disappear. Our home is half an hour down that road. Damn, we have a lot to talk about. That sonofabitch Pariah timed this like it was on purpose."

Two large vans show up. The drivers position them to block the road.

Damien indicates that Lori should get in one of the vans. "Our talk can start on the way to my villa. Get in."

Lori points at the gravcoupe. "Ride with me. It will be far more pleasant." Her smile is alluring.

Damien doesn't budge. "There are exactly two hundred eighty five vehicles on this island, four of which belong to me. I thought you were some sort of fugitives that…"

"They are, they are!" A young boy comes bouncing out of one of the vans tossing Damien his pad.

Damien looks at it. "I see. In the last two hours, you've been flagged as _persons of interest_ by the Americans, Russians, and the Chinese. Oh, espionage, how original."

He tosses the device back to the boy. "I don't suppose you had anything to do with that fire at Cal-tech either?"

Kim puts a hand on his shoulder, which he shrugs off stepping to put himself between her and Lori.

"I'm taking a lot on faith here because Pariah has given us a lot of good information in the last year, and a third of the people you see here are alive because of him. But all of a sudden I have to wonder if taking you into my house is such a great idea. Why exactly are you insisting I ride with you instead of you riding with me?"

Lori looks at Damien. "Pariah's nemesis, Merrin, is manipulating events. We were told he would."

Kasakabe startles them, appearing out of nowhere. "ENOUGH! No want? Leave. No trust? Leave. Done. Well?" She stares, hands on hips, at Damien.

The boy with the pad shouts, "I'll ride with her!"  
Damien spins to glare at him. "Not only no but fu... I mean, get in the van!" He turns to Lori, "Did it _have_ to be in front of all of them? Look, I am not doubting you. I haven't since that _thing_ showed up. Nobody else who sees it is going doubt it either. We'll talk in private, but-"

Kim whispers in his ear. Damien's shoulders slump and he rolls his eyes.  
"Fine." He looks inside the gravcoupe. "If you want to talk, I can't very well say no. Hold station behind the vans. I hope the dust covers the fact that thing doesn't have wheels."

Kim kisses his ear then skips over to the lead van. As they get into the gravcoupe Lori looks at Damien. "I apologize. My analysis of the situation was time had become critical and the only way to move things forward was forced resolution. I reacted as... Please do not take this wrong. I reacted as _programmed."_

"You will find Kasakabe and I have some... differences in social rules as we are from _Alien_ societies. I apologize in advance for both of us, as Kasakabe will not. That is not something her culture does."

Damien looks Lori over carefully. "If you're some sort of machine-intelligence, then I can understand your behavior. But those other two... Either they're stupid with exhaustion or just plain stupid. I've been on the run too, so I know the signs. Pariah never collected on what I owe him, so I guess you're my payment to him."

"So, what's all this about Merrin and fighting _evil_? You do realize that to almost _**any**_ other person on this planet, words like that are trite little jokes? Only people who have seen it firsthand can..."

He closes his eyes and leans back on the head-rest. "...that Pariah is one clever bastard, isn't he?" He pulls out a pack of Camels.

"Okay, how long have you known that asshole, and what's this all about?"

45


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **Hiding out**

Lori's response is polite. She shifts between a conversational voice and "pilot voice" as she speaks. "Please, do not incinerate that," seeing the cigarette. "Understand, for me it would be unbearable. My senses are greatly enhanced making things difficult for me in _Alien_ environments I was not designed to function in. I apologize. That must sound very strange to you. I am not a machine. I am a synthetic human analog."

Damien watches as her fingers dance precisely over the vehicle's controls even as she doesn't look at them.

"Kotomi is naïve. She is not trained nor experienced in the events we are dealing with. Kasakabe is. What I am telling you now is not to be repeated to anyone without her permission on threat of death."

"Kasakabe is one of a small number of the most deadly assassins in the universe. The people she works for are an analog to the Mafia, KGB, or CIA. I am her handler. No one on this planet is safe from her."

"She is _Ral Ranta_. Ral Ranta's are extremely aggressive and violent. They have a strong sense of honor and are very blunt in communications. Be prepared for threats and demands when she speaks. These are a normal and expected part of Ral Ranta speech."

"We have known Pariah for two days. Kasakabe has engaged Merrin's puppets killing seven, possibly nine. The data you have on governments wanting us is a result of Merrin's manipulations."

"The evil represented by Merrin threatens this planet, and you. He has strong _psionic_ abilities. You would call him someone who uses ESP. He can control others. His limit is approximately twenty individuals. Data shows he can project this at planetary distances. He can perform telepathy, mind control, clairvoyance, and possibly empathy. He may have other talents too."

"Merrin's intent is to create as much chaos on this world as possible. Pariah stressed he is intelligent and insane. According to him, we are a catalyst that could stop or potentially aid his plan. Kotomi is the key to that choice."

"I made the inference that you were in possession of most or all of this information. I was mistaken. Had I known that, I would not have made a public display earlier." She smiles. "That is what makes me not a machine. I can make assumptions, inferences, have emotions, and learn where a machine cannot."

He grunts and sits deeper in the plush seat. He nods at the mini-vans. "I understand the game Merrin is playing. When people, or creatures, or whatever get ready to do something horrible they want to justify it, even if only to themselves. This guy is setting things up so when he does whatever it is, he can point to all the crap and say, _See, you had it coming_."

"People like that make mistakes, serious ones," Damien replies. "Pariah has hinted at this stuff. I assumed he was rambling. So, I didn't listen like I should of."

He snaps his fingers. "I remember one thing he said. That I live in a unique place. Could that mean you're safe from Merrin there?" He stares forward. "Psychics and aliens." He shakes his head and grins.

"They are called psionics in my time. There are many races that practice this. It is possible that local conditions have caused a psionic dead zone that cannot be penetrated. These exist in my time."

"Well, I was planning on keeping all of you out of sight, but Kasakabe... She might be very helpful in certain outside pursuits I have."

As they arrive, Damien points out the gardener. "That's Alif, he's a spy for the Indonesian government. We tolerate him because I know who he is and they would replace him with someone I don't know if eliminated. Avoid him."

The vehicles park in a large garage. A gaggle of kids gather around Lori's door.

Damien groans. "Make sure you lock this thing up, tight." He gets out first, clapping his hands three times.

The kids repeat the gesture, turning to face him.

"Give our guests some room. I'm sure they'll join us for lunch. If you'd like them to remain with us, then I suggest that you make it a good, enjoyable lunch, so, get _to_ it."

There are muted protests as the kids file out. The youngest ones have an older child holding their hand whispering to them.

Damien leads the girls down a flight of stone stairs to a large room. There is a stuffed Crocodile measuring a good six meters, weapons on display that vary from shiny swords to a rusted and bent mortar.

Damien points at a large sofa covered with Zebra hide. "Have a seat."

He sits down at a large mahogany desk. Kim sits on the edge of the desk as if this a familiar pose for her. Twin dark skinned girls, twenty something, stand casually nearby.

"Where shall we start? Should I tell you about what sort of place you've walked into, or are you ready to tell me what it is you want from me?"

Kasakabe takes an interest in the weapons displays. She ignores Damien's invitation to sit. "Won battle?"

"Yes, battles won. Can't walk away from the ones we loose, now can we?"

She and Lori exchange looks. Kasakabe looks at Kim. "Talk Lori." She taps her chest. "Kill people." She turns back to looking at the stuff in the room.

"Please continue," Lori replies. "If you have targets needing elimination we can provide that service. Because of the situation, the usual ten million credit fee can be waived. It must involve killing someone of significance. If so, Kasakabe will take the contract."

Kasakabe picks up an item. "How won? Tell tale. Ancestor want to hear. I want to hear."

Damien comes halfway out of his seat, but Kim holds him giving their guests a friendly nod.

"But of course, you poor dears must have been up all night." Her voice has a musical lilt to it. "Cal, coffee and tea would be nice, don't you think?" She stands and gestures an invitation to use the bathroom off to one side. One of the twins nods and leaves.

"Right. Kasakabe, is it? We can hammer out the details later, but I think we can work together. I'm Damien Vanoy. Years ago, I fell in with a bad crowd and helped found a crime syndicate in a place called Nagan Duc, a Buddhist colony on the coastal end of the Thai-Cambodian border. After helping overthrow the Khmer Rouge and getting nothing but a kick in the pants for my troubles, I decided I should fight for myself and a whole pile of money instead."

He lights up at last. Lori grimaces.

Taking a puff, he continues. "I was ready to move on when I elected to supervise an arms shipment to Myanmar. The Karen were in a bad way. I didn't realize how bad until I met a daring young lady who decided to show me." He looks up at Kim, who smiles and takes his hand.

"She was a captive sent to warm my bed. I was running arms to the warlords who ran the drug-farms. Without being able to speak a word of English, she convinced me to have a look at what was going on there. I did, and it changed my perspective. What they were doing with captive children was..."

"I formed a squad of mercenaries and started convincing those people of the error of their ways. We got a lot of people out of there. I have resources to help you, in a manner of speaking. You could say I married into money."

He and Kim share a sly grin.

"When you've solved a problem like that, it's no longer the same as reading about it in the papers. You realize that you can do something that makes a difference."

"I kept going. What was left of my squad disappeared long ago. You really can't go commando in a civilized world. It's incredible how many people are willing to abuse children for a moment of sick pleasure. I saw wholesale waste of life in Kampuchea, but this was something else."

"We're still liberating. We leave the perps in a condition that sows terror in their networks. I can't be sure how successful we've been, but I like to think we're making a difference. The kids here are the ones we can't find homes for, or don't want to part with."

"As to how we do our deeds without a squad… Well, it's not easy. Kasakabe, if you're as good as your pal says, you're most welcome to join us. There have been times when our resources weren't equal to the task."

Kasakabe turns to look at him with what he recognizes as a _Thousand Yard Stare._ "Say who. _**Dead!**_ Never there." She turns back to looking at the trophies.

Kim gives her a sideways glance.

Damien exhales heavily. "Our biggest problem in recent years is a lack of information, no doubt a result of our activities. Then along came the Pariah. Now, here we are. Now you know the situation. What I need to know, are what your needs and intentions are."

Kotomi, exhausted, has fallen asleep.

Kim eyes Lori who has gripped a lamp cord tightly. "So, what do you bring to the table?"

"What data do you require?" Lori asks. "I am capable of obtaining any electronic data on this planet. I was _designed and manufactured_ to be an intelligence officer. I am programmed to be ruthless in combat. I will fight _this_ war because I must. It is what I was made for. It is the only way we can return home.

Kasakabe standing at one of the displays has picked up a sword, looking intensely at it. She holds the sword up showing it to Damien and Kim. "Owner stupid. No learn use. Sword know! Deserve better. Better here than hand of fool!" She puts the sword very carefully back on its display stand.

Kasakabe comes over to Kim's desk. She sets a small metallic container on it.

"Won battle. Kill Vargr pirate, take prize. Stupid test, all DIE! Calalli! Calalli! Tell tale, make ancestor proud!" Opening the case, she raises an odd looking computer keyboard to reveal a silvery surface that seems to shimmer and move. She reaches in, her arm disappearing into it up to her elbow.

Kim's mouth drops open. She stares at the container.

Kasakabe pulls out a stunningly gorgeous sword. It whistles as she twirls it. "Family four generation." She shows it to them. "Last fight, Anubian. Slice open duel. Sang beautiful!"

Kim looks at Kasakabe dropping her Blackberry on the marble floor, casually grinding it to splinters under her heel. "It occurs to me that these damned things were responsible for the death of spoken language in the future."

Damien nods, "Inevitable, perhaps, but it occurs to me that the way we speak makes us sound like Shakespearean play-actors to them."

Damien walks over to a display, picking up the sword Kasakabe commented on earlier. "Would you like this? It's yours. _Use_ it."

Kasakabe holds out both hands bowing to accept the sword. "Scemcsir salamat baa äbädi!" _(This) scimitar (will be) victorious now (and) forever (afterwards)!_

She eyes the sword then makes some movements with it. Her speed and level of skill raise an eyebrow on Damien.

A few days later Kotomi finds Kim. "Lori has a drug she needs to stay alive. It isn't available on Earth but she gave me the formula for it so I can make more. Lori requires these to live. She told me that back in Pasadena. She has about a year's supply left. We have to make more!"

"Okay. What do you want me to do about it?" Kim replies.

Kotomi puts a list of chemicals on the desk. "These are the precursors I need to make it. I put the names of companies you can get them from and a rough price next to each."

Kim looks at the list frowning. "You want me to purchase nearly a quarter of a million dollars' worth of chemicals? Are you friggin' crazy? Some of these are highly restricted too!" She points at one item. "That one's controlled and almost always illegal. How am I supposed to get that?"

"Kasakabe said she'd get those" Kotomi says looking at the floor.

Kim rubs her forehead. "You know, I really don't mind Lori. I think that girl's sensible and I'm willing to help her. I think Kasakabe is going to end up getting us all arrested, or worse, killed."

"You may be right, but I want to help Lori. I owe her a lot." Kotomi replies.

Kim exhales deeply. "Fine. I'll see what we can do."

Kasakabe quickly becomes bored. She rounds up some of the kids and starts training them in Ral Ranta martial arts. Kim and Damien object to her using corporal punishment but come to realize she is doing it as part of the training. The kids soon live in fear of her like a Catholic nun with a yardstick.

Damien and Kim soon recognize Kasakabe is teaching them not just martial arts, but to speak and write Ral Ranta as well as the manners and customs. They walk by the courtyard where she makes them practice in precise formation after a couple of months go by. They sit lotus position at small tables using a stylus doing Ral Ranta calligraphy.

Kasakabe walks among them occasionally tapping one or another "Bax! Äsgär bax!" _(Pay attention / focus! Warriors pay attention and focus!)_

She sees them. "Warrior know pen _and_ sword."

"Admit it" Damien says. "You were wrong about the future of language and culture. It looks like it's doing fine to me."

"We may be looking at her ancestors" Kim replies.

He nods. "Have you noticed that the shapes of their skulls are the same?"

Lori stays in "pilot voice / mode" most of the time around the kids and has infinite patience with them. The kids are enthralled with her being "synthetic" as they now call her.

After a year of trying and Lori down to a handful of vials, Kotomi manages to make a batch of anagathics. With the process down she starts another. Lori agrees with Kim to allow a small amount to be sold on the black market. A year's supply goes for over a million dollars and there is no end to demand particularly from female actresses and other celebrities who want to "Stay young forever."

 **NSA Headquarters**

The same agent sits in his office looking at photos of Kotomi and Lori. "So, you didn't disappear. coins last year and a fountain of youth drug this time, hum? Two users executed for leaking its existence."

"So, Ichinose, how did you make this stuff anyway? The best organic chemists on the planet say it's impossible to produce…"

On the next page there is a list of computer hacking attacks publically attributed to China or North Korea. Masses of information on some of the most sensitive networks the government has have been penetrated. The man shakes his head. "Same MO as the Boulder incident…" he mutters.

The paper trail he has shows Lori Sanparri is likely a multi-millionaire, possibly even a billionaire. "Just who are you Ms. Sanparri? You don't seem to exist prior to twenty six months ago."

He writes _armed and extremely dangerous_ into the file entries then leans back. "What're you two planning to do with all that money?"

Luchaan, a teen boy, becomes Kasakabe's most dedicated student, with Nin and little Nico not far behind. They with several others allow Kasakabe to tattoo them as apprentices. Luchaan has a thing for Kasakabe, enough of one to accept repeated beatings on the sparing grounds. He won't take no for an answer. For them, Kasakabe becomes "Boss Lady" or "Usted" and they bow deeply to her on every occasion.

Lori trains Dannon, a teenage girl from Somalia, in zero-G movement so she can work outside the gravcoupe in space. Kasakabe gives some of her apprentices a chance to try too.

On a particularly cloud free night with an incredible display of stars Kotomi finds Lori sitting on the beach by herself. She seems lost looking at them.

"Miss home?" Kotomi asks, sitting down beside her.

"Yes" Lori replies. "I so want to return to Mariposa and see my sisters, Ikki Ten, her daughter Kali Ten, and my friends." She turns to look at Kotomi. "I am so tired of fighting."

Kotomi hugs her laying her head on Lori's shoulder. "Which ones have you been to?"

Lori points to one. "That is Grand Endeavor. Kasakabe killed four men there. That is where she and I got to stay with Captain Hao and Kyllikki became my sister." She smiles. "I learned to swim there. I shared Ginsharian chocolate with Ikki and Zan for the first time. It is a wonderful memory."

She points at another. "That is the Sarkam system. Tanvir Faybo and his wife Zanetta rule that world. That is where Baron Jiayi Hao lives. I think you would like it."

Pointing to another, "That one is Kasasha. Lori served in the Ginsharian Navy there. It is the biggest arms bizarre for at least one hundred light years. Lori destroyed three merchant ships there, killing one hundred twenty three _Aliens_. Sorry, I should not have pointed that system out."

"That bright one there is Abouka. It is a factory world of slave workers and a privileged elite. It was horrible."

"That one to the right of it, yes that dim star… That is Factory Rock. My home, Mariposa, is there… I want so badly to go home…" Tears start to stream down Lori's cheeks.

"I'm trying Lori, I really am!" Kotomi replies. "I think I want more than ever to see your home too."

63


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **Kotomi's crazy plan**

With her success in making anagathics, Kotomi turned back to full time study of alternate dimensions and shadow detection. She is sitting with Lori in their quarters watching a video and eating green tea ice cream. "Lori, I might have a way to defeat Merrin. One that doesn't require violence or war."

Lori looks at her. "Understood."

Kotomi twists her lip up leering at her.

It takes Lori a moment to recognize her facial expression. She smiles. "Sorry, incorrect protocol. What is your idea Kotomi? I would love to hear it."

Kotomi's shoulders slump. "Sometimes, you take all the fun out of things. My idea is, we build the world's first faster-than-light starship."

"Is this possible?" Lori asks, pilot voice.

"With what you've shown me on FTL travel, and what I know of quantum physics, yes, it is. Some of the jump system details were on the perscomm you gave me. I figured out between that and what I know on quantum physics how it works."

"The drive aligns vibrating superstrings using Hilbert Space and a time vector of one week. The Einstein-Maxwell-Dirac equations and theory on Fermionic fields are sort of right. If you couple those to quantum gravetics you derive how to get a gravetic singularity in nth dimensional space. You showed me those equations. That's the _well_ you described. We can do it!"

"You're familiar with physics here. With what you showed me on universal resonance of superstrings and supersymmetry, I connected everything and figured out how the jump systems work. Well, more or less."

"I was amazed how simple and elegant it actually is! It works like a band pass filter at Planck distances. The capacitive discharge of the drive to the coils produces a dense EM field at universal resonance to align superstrings in fourth and fifth dimensional space. That creates a gravetic singularity that is then projected forward of the ship creating the well. The ship is pulled in and a week later emerges at the singularity point. The depth of the well is determined by the strength of the field generated in relation to the mass of the ship. I figure we can make a ship of about twenty five tons mass that can jump about half a light year for the prototype."

"What do you need to build this ship?" Lori asks.

Kotomi sees she's very interested now. "I don't have all the details worked out yet." Kotomi digs in a pack for some papers. "This is the rough design. I think it'll cost about twenty to fifty million dollars to make it."

"Money is not a variable," Lori replies firmly. "If you build this ship what is the theoretical end result?"

"If I'm successful, the world will stop fighting and want to get into space and go to other stars. Then _his_ plan is defeated."

Lori smiles. "We will build your ship. It is an excellent alternative to defeating him through military action. I will make ten million American dollars available to you tomorrow. Put a list together of what you require."

Kotomi hugs Lori. She drifts off into advanced physics, "The current thinking here is wrong. Magnetism is the easy part. We just need a strong enough field to contain things. The hard part is gravity. What we really need is true zero gravity and no stray magnetic or gravetic fields including the Earth's. I'm not sure anything but doing this in deep space will ever work…"

Kotomi's list of stuff grows. It's apparent that what she wants to do is grotesquely expensive.

"We can take everything up using the gravcoupe and we already have space suits to work in. I even ordered four more from Russia as collector items." Everybody but Lori thinks she's gone nuts when she says, "There's going to be room for four crew too!"

A few weeks later, a convoy of tractor trailers show up at Damien's compound. They are carrying four each, 4 meter diameter aluminum cylinders about 2.5 meters tall. One cylinder has something that looks like the top of a corn silo on it.

"They're here!" Kotomi cries, running to meet the drivers and direct them to a place to unload.

Kim and Damien don't take long to show up. "What the hell's this?" she demands.

"You better have a _very good_ explanation young lady," Damien adds.

After getting things unloaded and stashed in one of the larger sheds Kotomi explains to the now numerous, and curious, people standing waiting. "That's the hull for my starship! It's a double wall aluminum construction with a meter of borated and lead filled foam insulation in-between! That makes it safe from solar radiation, non-magnetic, and micro meteorite proof! Oh, I have a bunch of other stuff coming too! We ordered it as parts for a geo-thermal air conditioning system for the estate. That way nobody would question what they were for."

Damien backs Kotomi up against one of the trucks. "Just went and did it, did you? Fine. I can't undo it now, so tell me, what happens to all this if we have to leave the island with three hours' notice? How long will it take you to finish this, and can it be towed behind a boat?"

Kotomi whimpers and whines, "Lori helped me with this! She knows how it can be moved! I just designed... I wanted... I..." She starts crying.

Damien, with a dead-pan look on his face, he does a perfect Three Stooges nose-squeeze on Kotomi. "Relax kiddo, I don't do well with surprises. Well, it makes no difference. Just make sure nobody _sees_ you conquering space until you're a hundred percent, okay?"

Damien goes straight to Lori. "You go double-check and then check again to make damn sure that the paper-trail for all this crap is scrambled up good! It might be too late, but I need you to buy us some time before somebody out there realizes that a frakking space-ship is being built in Indonesia!"

"There is no electronic trail whatsoever, Mister Vanoy." Lori replies. "Kotomi was not allowed to order anything herself. Everything ordered was given a random and general purpose. The only item we could not do that with were the jump conduits. Those were specially made for the purpose. Terran technology does not recognize the end use for which they were made."

"Everything was designed to be moved by the gravcoupe and we can place the equipment to date in orbit starting immediately. I would _think_ you would place more confidence in me to not expose your operations."

Damien bites his lip and nods. "You're right, of course. Oh, there is one other thing I'd like you to look into…"

Lori tilts her head slightly and speaks in pilot mode. "North Korea. That requires several more weeks to complete."

Damien laughs quietly to himself, not looking at her. "Already knew what I wanted. Should've seen that coming…"

Over the next few weeks additional parts arrive. Most of it is mundane electronics or items no one would concern themselves with: Computer monitors, cameras, circuit boards. Several aluminum bunks, chairs, and other bits that look like they would go in an aircraft arrive. Many of the parts look used. Then there are smallish pumps, electric motors, and bunches of wire, tubing, and pipes. Many of the crates are marked "Scrap metal" or "Scrap electronics."

The arrival of a truck carrying eight 15 meter long 1.5 meter wide waveguides shaped like horseshoes and sheets of magnesium sheet metal are a bit harder to explain.

"Those are the jump coils and the ship's outer skin" Kotomi says. "They were made in Japan and are constructed out of pure lanthanum with a neodymium outer plating."

The billing slip shows she paid ¥ 182 million for them.

A crate with tank periscopes and another with what look like hatches off a submarine shows up. "They're off an old Russian sub, and that one was the docking ring and hatch on a Soyuz capsule," Kotomi says.

Kim finally asks as the pile of stuff grows, "How much did all this cost and how did you pay for it?"

"Lori gave me a ten million US dollar line of credit" Kotomi meekly replies. "This is only part of what I need. The real expense is the superconducting generator and hypergolic fuel turbine. I got quotes on those at thirty to fifty million U.S. and it's probably going to be closer to seventy..."

Kim's eyes get large and her mouth hangs open. "So, you think you can really make a space ship?" She sighs heavily, looking up shaking her head.

Rama is digging in a box with the latest shipment. "What's this?" He holds up something that looks like a large electric heating unit for a stove.

Kotomi gets a look of joy on her face. "They arrived! That's a Hall Effect generator from Fakcl in Kaliningrad. It's one of the maneuvering thrusters for the ship."

She looks back at Kim. "Oh, I need ten kilograms of Uranium Boride to build a semi-conducting, directed neutron source. I could use twenty kilos of Lanthanum hexaboride and another twenty of Lanthanum Oxide. I need that to make a directed plasma cathode to load the grid…"

Kim wants to pull her hair out. She finds Lori. "Have you seen this list of _junk_ Kotomi wants?"

"Yes." Lori's face is a blank.

Kim bites her lip throwing the paperwork in her hand in the air. "Ugg!" She storms off.

Kotomi talks to Lori one sunny afternoon on her progress. "You know Lori, I could really use a _flux capacitor_ …"

Lori looks confused. "Flux capacitor? I am not familiar with that device. Can we procure one here?"

Kotomi gives Lori one of those looks and a smile. It takes Lori a moment to recognize what Kotomi's doing. In a lightning quick move Lori grabs her and pretends to beat her up.

Kotomi laughs, "I didn't know you had a human sense of humor!"

Lori holds her back looking into her eyes. "I can if I want to. What do you actually need?"

"A ten kiloton nuclear bomb would work. Hooking up to a fifty megawatt power plant would do it as well."

"What would this produce?" Lori asks now quite serious.

"In a zero gravity environment I could open an FTL well about a half a light year deep. The problem I need to solve is keeping the equipment from melting down and that requires a stronger magnetic field than I've been able to get. Part of that problem is solved in deep space by using cryogenics."

"Think of it! We could send a probe or satellite deeper into space than Voyager in a week! Lori, I can make stable micro alternate universes now! They're so small you can't see them except on instruments. The Shadow detector works! I can find one or detect one accurately every time now!"

Kotomi leans over and hugs Lori hard. "I have you to thank for that. You made it possible!"

Lori tilts her head. "Hiding this has become an issue. Many of the items you have requested have got the attention of _Alien_ governments."

"What can we, you, do about that?" Kotomi replies. "We're wanted…"

"Japan is not one of the countries wanting us. They could grant us diplomatic immunity."

"I don't think Japan is going to believe me, or you, on any of this. They might hand us over to the U.S. too."

Lori nods. "I will ask the Vanoy's for help. We have to move forward. It is our only way home and the only way to clear your name."

Kotomi shakes her head. "You're taking me with you if this works, you know that."

Among the older kids, Rama becomes Kotomi's assistant. He studiously learns how to do things like machine parts and weld. "It's _Star Trek_ for real!" he tells anyone who listens.

Dannon dubs herself, Lori's "copilot" and is regularly going into space and working in a zero-G environment. Rail thin and so adaptable she seems born to space travel. Lori has her practicing with Kasakabe's students on zero-G movement.

One of the smuggling boats bringing a load of goods in also brings Akihiro Nakamura, a Japanese _salaryman_ disowned by his employer in Japan for creating a problem on assignment. He sees Kotomi on the pier among the stevedores moving the goods towards a large building in Damien's compound.

"What a surprise seeing another Japanese here" he says to Kotomi.

Kotomi eyes him suspiciously. "What's a salaryman doing here with a crew like that?"

He grins deviously and bows. "Nakamura, Akihiro. You're right I _was_ a salaryman. I had a falling out with my employer. These guys found me useful enough to keep around rather than throw me overboard."

Kotomi waves her hand Japanese style and bows back. "Ichinose, Kotomi. So, where did you matriculate?"

Akihiro looks at her. "I know that name from somewhere…"

As he says that a Chinese looking woman in a dark hoodie appears out of thin air and has a large blade centimeters from his throat. The expression on her face makes Akihiro gasp audibly.

"Kasakabe, NO! I was interviewing him for a job" Kotomi says.

Kasakabe's eyes narrow. "Ask question. Finish." She doesn't move the blade or her stance. "Move, die. Bad answer, die" she hisses at him. The stevedores ignore them walking past without so much as looking at what's going on.

"Mr. Nakamura, can you use CAD drafting programs, spreadsheets?"

"Um, uh… Yes, yes I can. I went to Shiiou University. I was a business major but took a few engineering courses to get the job I had. I also speak English and Thai."

Kotomi smiles at him. "If you can keep secrets, you have a job. I'll pay you 500,000 yen a month. I need an executive assistant who can also make and read engineering drawings."

Kasakabe edges the blade closer to him her teeth bared like some vicious animal, "Choose."

"I accept, like I have a choice, it seems."

Kasakabe's blade disappears. "Say anything, anyone, _die._ " She walks past him.

He turns around to see what she is doing only to find she has disappeared. "How…?"

"Questions like that here can get you killed" Kotomi replies. "Come on, I'll show you what you got yourself into."

Kotomi takes him to a large steel building on the other side of the property. Inside, is a metal cylinder about thirty meters long and four meters in diameter, lying in pieces. Sitting beside it is a pink "Ferrari" partially under a tarp, without wheels, on blocks. The building is full of other stuff sitting in piles on pallets, benches, or shelving. Several workers are welding and fabricating stuff nearby.

"Building a submarine?" Akihiro asks.

" _That_ is Earth's first faster-than-light starship. I calculate it can jump half a light year. It's only a prototype for proof of concept but it'll work!" Kotomi replies. "Think of it! We could be going to another star in a decade. I get chills just thinking about it."

He looks at her like she's insane. "Yea, sure…"

Kotomi is about to say more when Lori walks in on them. She's in one of her skin tight body suits and looks absolutely stunning. She saunters up to them as Akihiro stares.

"Lori, what're you doing here?"

"An interview of my own, Kotomi" she replies, reaching out and putting a hand on Akihiro's cheek. Lori leans in and kisses him.

Kotomi looks at the ceiling then at Lori. "Please don't hurt him."

"He will be fine, just as you were… If I accept his answers." She pulls the tarp off the gravcoupe and the doors begin to rise. "Let us go for a ride, just you and me…"

 **NSA Headquarters**

A secretary lays a folder on his desk. "The file you asked for sir."

He undoes the seal, opening it, and starts to slowly read each page. "Why would anyone need a docking hatch from a Soyuz space capsule…? If it was anyone else, I'd think they were just odd, but not you Miss Ichinose. It's time to bring _them_ in on this."

He looks over a list of items. Large samarium-cobalt magnets, zirconium and hafnium wire in various sizes, titanium sheet metal, lots of lanthanum billets, microwave waveguides in non-ferrous stainless steel, military grade travelling wave tubes, and non-ferrous nickel and Inconel tubing and fittings.

There are orders for materials from Russia, Japan, Korea, China, India, and a dozen other countries. One item catches his attention: Uranium borate.

"Just what are you building?"

A month later he's looking at a new file. _Agent H_ , aka Zee!naa^soowhan, has looked over the information the agency obtained on Kotomi's project and suggested she's making a _starship_.

He closes the file. "What a load of crap! If NASA and the Russians can't do it, some female Japanese crackpot sure as hell can't!"

The next day more information from 'Agent H' arrives. _The lanthanum waveguides are identical to those used on our starships. These have no other purpose._ The file reads. Further down the page it shows the manufacturer is a small company in Japan specializing in microwave wave guides.

There is a page on Lori Sanparri. 'H' suspects she is a _Ginsharian._ He reads through the notes. _If this person is a Ginsharian no electronic device on this planet is safe. If you put anything on a computer, talk on a cell phone, use your intercom in your office, a Ginsharian will know everything you said and did._

A shudder goes up his spine. He presses the intercom. "Miss Norris, come in here." The secretary enters the office. "Book me a business class flight as soon as possible to Sendai Japan, do it in person at a ticketing agency, not by computer."

76


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **It gets personal**

On September 10th, Lori celebrated "Made Day." For the first time since arriving, Lori passed out metal foil, mustard yellow colored Ginsharian food packs with long series of eight digit number groups on them. She then passed out cups and white wine purchased specially for the occasion. There is also a tray of expensive Swiss chocolate.

. Damien and the others looked skeptically at the packages. "What's this, something like an MRE?" he asks.

Lori stands in front of the assembled group. "Today is Made Day for Ginsharians. It is a special day for us to celebrate our having been manufactured and the wonderful life we have had as a result."

She holds up her glass of wine. "I am Lori Sixteen of Ginshar I was made to be an essential part of Lori. Because I was made Lori has been improved. I am Lori Sixteen! I am Ginshar!"

She takes a drink from the glass as does everyone else. "Please try the Ginsharian food packs. The wine and chocolate are the closest I could come to Ginsharian equivalents."

Inside is a small fork-like utensil and a tray with colorful cubes about 3 cm on a side on it. Trying these brings astonishment to people's faces. The taste, texture, and smell of each cube is incredible!

"Non-Ginsharians react that way to Ginsharian food" Lori tells Damien. She helps people by pointing out ones she thinks they might like.

"This is what you eat on Ginshar all the time?" Kim gulps down another cube.  
"No" Lori replies. "These are military food packs and not nearly as good as what is served on Ginshar itself."

"You could make a fortune selling the recipes!"

"Sorry Kim" Lori says. "I am not... programmed... to be a chef. I have no idea how any of that was made."

They bring out a birthday cake for her. Lori squeals in delight, clapping her hands. "A surprise birthday! I know about birthdays and how to function at one!"

Lori asks Damien, "After we are done here could you join me in my villa? I have something to show you."

Lori's villa is _a_ _ntiseptic and artificial_. It's like entering a hospital surgical theater.

She points at several pair of shoes just inside the door. "Mister Vanoy, please removes your shoes. If you would sit there please." She takes out a computer-like device and sits down next to him bringing up a 360 degree holo-display.

He makes an effort not to be distracted by her. The display is a map of Southeast Asia.

"I can expand it to cover the planet but that is unnecessary for this demonstration. What I am going to show you few non-Ginsharians have been privileged to see. This is highly classified, but the situation dictates I show it to you."

Lori reaches out and "touches" one of thousands of moving markers on the display. She draws it towards them. As she does, large blocks of numbers appear beside it. "This is a Singapore F-16C in flight. Would you like to know what it is doing?"

She puts the marker back. She touches another in Japan. "This is Japanese business man Hiroshi Katamuri in his Lexus on the Matsuyama Expressway. He is talking on his cell phone. I can give you his destination if you like. It programmed into his vehicle's navigation system. Would you like to know who he is talking to? He is making a business deal."

Damien starts to say something.

She cuts him off. "I now have what you want on North Korea."

Lori reduces the display to show the Korean peninsula and surrounding seas. There are little dots Damien recognizes as data points moving in the sea areas. He can tell that the display shows the ocean / sea areas without the water, just the underlying bottom. The dots seem to float and move in 3D.

"It took some time to find systems that could provide the necessary data" Lori says. She reaches into the display pulling one of the dots out towards her. It resolves into a submarine with a mass of numerical data surrounding it.

"This is the United States nuclear submarine _Omaha_. It is moving at twelve kilometers an hour on a course of one-seven-three true at a depth of one hundred seven meters" Lori says, pilot voice.

She puts the dot back then takes another one out. It is a much smaller boat. "This is a North Korean Song-O type two diesel submarine. It is moving at four point two kilometers an hour, eighty nine relative at a depth of thirty meters." She puts the dot back.

"You _know_ where every submarine off Korea is?" Damien stammers.

"Yes."

"I'm not even going to ask how you managed that!"

"Thank you Mister Vanoy, as I cannot tell you. It is classified Ginsharian military information. I am compromising many Ginsharian military secrets showing you any of this."

Damien sits staring, mouth slightly open.

"Yes, I am the equivalent of what you would call a 'super computer.' My equipment was designed to allow me to monitor any electronic information system on worlds far more complex than this one. As part of my duties I know all about you and everyone here. That way I can better plan and protect you. This system will notify me wherever I am if there is a critical threat to us. Your radar is… cute."

"Mister Vanoy, I thought it best to show you who you are dealing with. You have been more than kind to take us in and have kept us from constant attacks by Merrin. For that we are grateful. In return we offer our services to protect you and yours."

Lori smiles at him. "That I promise as _Kapitan_ Lori Sixteen of the Ginsharian Navy in the service of Mariposa. Murotsu Kasakabe of the Owato Clan of Durne, Ral Ranta has done the same."

Damien has a grin that is showing way too many teeth now. He pats her shoulder. "That's not necessary. You've shown me what I wanted to see."

Damien gets a message from Pariah about a target in Turkey. He decides to hit it before it moves again. He plans a raid on Sinope on the Black Sea to liberate about a dozen children, then nail the ring's collection point at Krasnoyarsk at the southern end of Moldova. The kids are to be ferried out to a Yacht owned a rich fellow that owes Damien a favor.

"So, how are you going to know who to let Kasakabe kill? I don't want her randomly slaughtering people," Damien asks Lori.

"Your operatives need to mark the targets with one of these." She shows him something that looks like a tiny square of scotch tape. "Get it anywhere on the target. Once it is marked I can make detailed scans and biometrically identify it wherever it goes."

 **The Black Sea**

At five pm one of the twins lead half a dozen young women out of the target building while the other lets a truck loaded with fertilizer catch fire and roll into a gas-station not far away. Most of the "security" guards go chasing after the escapees, but few of the clients leave, the fire has drawn a crowd.

It is full dark by the time Damien and Kasakabe arrive. The fire has died down. The target building looks locked down. Before leaving Lori gave Damien a perscomm. She asked for details on the "targets" but his information was insufficient so she could not do everything beforehand.

The perscomm chimes a minute or two after he arrives in the target area. It's Lori. "Mister Vanoy, please bring up the holo-display as instructed."

"The markers are all identified adults within the target area. Touch each one in turn. A picture and other data on that target will appear. If they are a target say "target" and they will be marked. Once you have done that for all targets say "finished." You can then put the perscomm away until you wish to release Kasakabe."

When Damien releases Kasakabe she turns on her thermoptics along with lightening herself using a gravbelt, then she fades. She runs at a sprinter's pace into the target area. On her head up display on her suit visor she sees the location of the targets relative to her.

The smoke, dust, and speed at which she's moving keep the suit from fully keeping up. To an observer it would appear like a ghost was moving in their view, shimmering and wavering in the twilight.

Swords out, she reaches the first man. He flies apart as she hacks him into large pieces. He looks like a toppled human Jenga puzzle. Damien having given her the 'green light' to be vicious and gruesome, she tears each target to pieces.

On her next target she comes at a run out of a wall of flames like some unholy demon, half visible, with blood and gore splattered all over her suit. The man freezes in terror. This horrible sight cuts him from his left shoulder to nearly his waist in half while lopping off his right arm below the shoulder. Kasakabe stops long enough to behead him before continuing.

She reduces her weight to near zero and moves straight up a wall of the Monastery Chapel then across the ceiling using her zero-G combat skills to drop on another man and tear him apart in a flurry of sword strokes.

"Time is up Kasakabe. Withdraw" Lori orders. She repeats her order. "MUROTSU KASAKABE WITHDRAW!" Lori recognizes that Kasakabe has gone on a killing frenzy like a shark would. She tries a third time.

"Withdraw" Kasakabe finally acknowledges.

"Your withdrawal point is on your display. Collect the RATS there. Acknowledge when complete."

As she departs the carnage, Kasakabe, now with her helmet off, looks down at her blood splattered thermoptic suit. She takes a glove covered finger and wipes up some of the blood and then looks at it. "Victory!" she hisses. "Do ancestor proud."

She pulls out the sword Damien gave her. It is covered in someone's blood. "Sword redeemed. Victorious now."

Just as she says that a grenade rolls free from a severed hand meters from her blowing her through a flimsy wall. She falls two stories.

For a split second, and a slice of eternity Kasakabe ceases to fall. All sensation is gone and she is floating in a nothingness of brilliant whiteness, like an illuminated fog. She is naked but not flesh, just the Ka, the essential spirit. A wave of thought hits her like a blast of super-heated air.

 _Interloper. It's all so easy for you, isn't it? You should have left it for_ _them_ _to decide. Very well, little one, I will restore the balance as I see fit. You should have stayed in hiding, Muro-siz._

Kasakabe finds herself lying on a sheet of plywood atop a pile of debris. She gets up slowly shaking off the hit not bothering to try a "heal."

She starts towards the withdrawal point. She looks up. "Qarxaq! Yubka arxasinda gizlänän! Istifadä digär! Däyärsiz qurdu! Siz rüsvay adi äsgär! Yad olmaz därinlikärinda cähännäm!"

(Coward! Hiding behind a skirt [she means curtain here but uses it as an insulting double entender]! Using others [to do your dirty work is implied]! You are worthless [done in the feminine as an insult] and nothing but a worm! You [feminine again] are a disgrace to the title warrior! You won't even be remembered in the depths of Hell!)

Kasakabe shakes her fist at the sky. "Biz üsün äläcäk sizin! Mäz scäxän öldümäk! Dähscät mäzi Merrin! Siz etdi yenilmäz düscman! Maz taqib säni üscän öldürmäk!"

(I will come for you and I will personally KILL you! Fear me Merrin! You have made an invincible enemy! I will chase you to hell to kill you!)

When they return to the compound, Kasakabe finds Lori. She has not cooled off one bit. "Find Merrin! Find NOW!" she shouts. She turns and storms off.

Lori stands looking at her at attention. "Understood."

Lori starts going through all of her data, looking for incidents that fits Merrin's pattern.

Lori finds that psychics with believable abilities have been popping up all over the place, and then vanishing. The world's intelligence agencies are in a mad scramble to scoop them up, but have only been partly successful. Their efforts seem to be a mess.

The only location not being scrutinized is North Korea. This is something that gets her attention.

She also finds a secret list of people wanted by those agencies. At the top is Sushulana vin Treewater whose powers are supposedly so dangerous that a "shoot to prevent escape" order is out on her. She is traveling with two associates, and all three vanished the previous summer.

The pattern emerging points to North Korea. She might have missed it if not for a search related to the hunt for pedophile rings Damien wanted.

A combination of missing people ranging from 8-12 years old, medical shipments and a few highly specialized and unscrupulous people, all point to the North Koreans. Evidence suggests a project involving aggressive brain-surgery and behavioral control. Lori spots another possibility. Somebody in North Korea might be trying to mass-produce psychics.

 **NSA Headquarters**

The executive is fingering an evidence pouch. In it is something that resembles a tiny piece of scotch tape. He looks at the technician that brought it in. "So, whose is this? Chinese? Russian? Israeli?"

"I checked really carefully," the technician replies. "Nobody has anything close to this sophistication. We're unable to ascertain exactly how it even works, or its real purpose. The electronics are molecular and there're circuits on it nobody can figure out."

The executive opens a second file folder on his desk. This one is labeled _Kotomi Ichinose / Lori Sanparri_. He places the pouch and paperwork in it. "Thank you. That will be all for now. A Ginsharian, hum…"

 **Elsewhere…**

"Any preferences on where we're going?" Sushulana Treewater asks.

Chris Larabee hands her a gold card. "Here."

She winces. "I hate that place. Hey, how do you know I know these people?"

"Lucky guess. You seem like the sort."

She eyes him through slits. "That didn't answer my question." She turns away from Chris and holds up her arms. She begins muttering an incantation. A shimmering "gate" appears.

"What _sort of place_ are we talking about here?" Kendra Vaughn asks, hands on hips.

Chris shakes his head. "The sort of place that doesn't need a guide to find the heart of darkness."

Sushulana stares at Chris head down. "You know, they tell me it can be a full-bore catastrophe if you ever fuck one of these gates up. I hope you're along for the ride if I ever do." She marches through.

Kendra says, "I'm not going in that thing unless you go through with me."

Chris' shoulders slump slightly. "Whatever." He grabs her arm and nearly tosses her into it.

Kendra finds herself standing in salt-water up to her waist on a bright, sunny, beach. The salt water gently laps past her. There's no one in sight. One can almost see the steam coming out of her ears. Kendra looks at Sushulana. "You know, you cursed us, right?"

Sushulana curls up her lip. "Honey, that wasn't even _close_ to a major fuck up."

The motorcycle Chris drug along is submerged in the water. He drops it, watching it sink in the surf. "Well, that was a waste of time. I guess we walk."

In town, nobody speaks English. When Chris asks about the Church or flashes that gold business card the locals quickly point the way and hurry off to do something besides talk to him.

It looks like a Catholic church, stained glass windows and everything. The effect is spoiled by the "nun" that answers the door. She's a tall, sharp-edged blond with pink gargoyle sun-glasses, a harsh attitude, and a half-smoked joint in the corner of her mouth.

"Unless you've got five hundred dollars god's not home." She glances at Chris. "What's with you? Get lost from some western movie set?"

Chris shows her the gold business card. The "nun" looks it over carefully before slipping it into her habit. "Alright. Come in, sit down, and wait for the Mother Superior. Oh, don't touch a goddamned thing!"

Kendra catches a glimpse of a Glock in a shoulder holster under her habit.

It looks like a real church on the inside. The liquor bottles on the altar and an alcove with a Vegas style card-table ruins the effect.

Sushulana wanders over to the table. She stops dead in her tracks and stares at a calendar with wide eyes and shaky knees. "Okay, now _THAT_ is a major fuck up."

 **Merrin Strikes.**

Damien is talking to Lori about Kotomi's latest request for purchase. He shakes his head. "Look, not only will I never consent to a nuke coming anywhere near this place, but you can't steal something like that from anyone without them finding you. Eventually they'll track you down. Now, if it's absolutely, positively required that you get one of those damn things, I may have a way. The bombs that exist are off-limits... but the ones that don't, that's another story…"

He is cut off by Vondonna, one of the twins. She runs in panic-stricken. "I have to find Caupanna! I have to find her, right now!"

There is a column of smoke rising to the south.

Nin loved driving the Lincoln. It was a struggle for him, but that made it more of a challenge. He would chauffeur people around whenever he got the chance. So, it was natural that he would take Caupanna to the Clinic for her first prenatal exam, a secret shared only with Kim. The three went together.

Kasakabe is watching her apprentices practice their sword skills. She winces hard. In her mind she hears, _This is a reminder who has the power. Arrogance dooms you little one. This is payback._

An autopsy reveals that Nin suffered an aneurism while crossing a bridge and went straight into the path of an on-coming truck, which was immediately rear-ended by another truck transporting propane.

It must have been quick, the blast collapsed the bridge, tumbling the burning wreckage into the ravine and the river below. The triple funeral is held on Christmas Eve.

Damien and Vondonna are shattered. They disappear for days at a time. Luchaan tries to assume leadership, but he's not suited to it, no more than Kasakabe would be suited to the UN. Yasmin and Oaan, who might have been previously thought to be useless, rise to the challenge and do their best to fill the void.

At the funeral Kotomi is distraught. Lori seems stoic. Kasakabe shows up with her apprentices dressed in their finest clothes, some clearly bought or made for the occasion. She is wearing an incredibly expensive kimono and looks very much like a Geisha or Japanese female mob boss. She carries two swords Samurai style. The kids help her set up pictures of people no one recognizes facing the dead, as if gazing on them.

"What's going on here?" Damien whispers to Lori. Vondonna leans in to listen.

"I have seen this before with Murotsu. That is her private name, the one she only lets those close to her use. I think you should know that. She is sending them off to meet their ancestors as required by her religion. Those pictures are her ancestors. They will guide the dead on their journey. She takes this with deadly seriousness. I do because she does. I suggest you do likewise" Lori whispers back.

Kasakabe lights sticks of incense placing them around the deceased. She lines the kids up with herself in front, all facing those gathered. She claps her hands twice, putting them together. The kids follow her actions. She and the children bow. It is clear they rehearsed this.

With the children in unison she starts saying a prayer in Ral Rantan for the dead. Finished, she stands rigidly upright, staring at those present. The children start passing out small cups to everyone and produce bottles of Saki from somewhere. With everyone having a cup, Kasakabe raises hers. She draws out a sword, lifting it at arm's length into the air she shouts, "Dädäbaba gömäk düscmän äsmäk!

Lori says loudly, "May your ancestors always watch over you and your enemies tremble before you!"

Afterwards Kasakabe seeks out Damien before he can get away. "Make sure ancestor know come! Welcome them! Make ancestor proud!"

Damien bites his lip fighting tears. He grabs Kasakabe and hugs her tightly. "Thank you. Thank you."

With no one left in command Lori assembles the remaining adults and older children she can find. Standing in front of the group, "As _Kapitan,_ I assume command. Everyone in this compound _adults and children, no exceptions_ will assemble in a common room in the main building. "You have thirty minutes. Do not be late! _Understood?_ "

The response is varied.

"UNDERSTOOD?" she thunders. Her sudden firmness is something of a shock compared to how she is usually very polite and easy to work with. Finally everyone says "Understood" back to her.

"Twenty seven minutes twenty one seconds…" She does an about face and leaves.

"Do or else!" Kasakabe says waving her arms and pushing people towards the exit. "GO! Get everyone!"

Exactly thirty minutes later Lori strides into the room.

This is the first time anyone, other than Kasakabe, has seen her in a uniform. They are used to her dressing like a college co-ed. This time she is wearing black tights with tall polished black boots. She has on a black double breasted suit jacket with gold buttons that is more like a short dress. Underneath she has on a crisp white blouse with black tie. On the shoulders of the jacket are gold lace epaulets. There is a stylized wing device below a star in a wreath with small silver stars on it on her left breast.

She has her hair up tightly and is wearing a black peaked cap with a similar star and wreath on the peak but this one adds crossed swords and stylized wings to it. The hat band has gold leaf running around it. At her natural waist is a polished black belt with gold buckle and she has a pistol holster on. Between the uniform and her demeanor she looks absolutely imperious. She faces the group looking it over.

She begins in pilot voice. "Mister Vanoy has taken a leave of absence. Until he returns I assume command as _Kapitan_ Lori Sixteen of the Mariposan Navy. As senior officer present that is my duty. You will follow my orders as you would Mister Vanoy's. _Understood?_ "

The group looks vacantly at her. Several nod glumly. Lori is about to say something.

Kasakabe steps up. "Understood Kapitan!"

Kotomi recognizes her lead. "Understood Kapitan!"

Dannon and Rama both say loudly, "Understood Kapitan!"

This brings a chorus from the others.

Some have difficulty with Lori's rigid style of command and expectation of total obedience but manage with it. Everyone is glad to have someone in charge and keeping things in order.

When Damien returns Lori defers to his command. She moves back to being "Intelligence officer" when Vondonna has become an effective second to Damien.

Kasakabe gives Vondonna one of the wooden swords she uses and it is clear Vondonna, much like Kasakabe, isn't about to bunk any guff from anyone, Damien included.

Damien goes to Lori's villa, careful to wear only the cleanest clothes and remove his shoes at the door. "I want to thank you for taking charge of things. You held things together and did great…"

Lori looks at him in one of her "pilot mode" expressions. "Command is a primary function for my model. I was performing that function as programmed. I thank you for commending me for being successful in performing that function and noting I am performing correctly."  
Damien starts laughing…

He starts doing his best to get things back to normal immersing himself in the affairs of the house during the day, and in work during the night. If he sleeps, it's a secret between him and his shadow. There are late-night meetings with Arab-looking men and he disappears on business trips no one is invited on.

The gravcoupe was fitted with Lori's laser carbine. It took some effort to get it mounted and then hooked up to the vehicle's power supply. After the installation was finished, to Lori's satisfaction, she tried it out on some inch thick steel plate targets at a range of about 1000 meters. To make calibration easier Lori set the weapon to emit a visible pulse in one in five pulses much like tracers. The test drew a small crowd.

"It's just like _Star Wars!"_ several of the kids exclaim with glee, watching Lori cut the plates to pieces in an instant with the laser by subtitle moves of the gravcoupe.

 **Elsewhere**

Kendra is surfing the net on an open connection at an Internet café. Suddenly, the screen goes blank then fills with blocks of numbers for an instant. Those disappear.

On a blank screen new text appears.

 _Kendra Vaughn, the NSA is monitoring this device. They know where you and your companions are. If you want to escape capture relocate to_ _3° 47' 04.3" N, 108° 21' 43.8" E. Only then will you and your companions be safe._

 _The tablet crashes hard. The screen remains frozen with the displayed coordinates._

She hurries off to find Chris.

 **NSA Headquarters:**

A technician is monitoring Kendra Vaughn's laptop when suddenly his screen fills with numbers then goes blank. He slams his hands down on the keyboard. "Damn it!"

His face contorts and starts to foam at the mouth. He topples out of his chair onto the floor.

"What? What the hell happened?" the executive tracking Kotomi and Lori asks.

The analyst looks at the floor. "Well, sir, we had another hacking like the Boulder incident. We lost our tracking data on the Treewater target. The analysist tracking the target died of a coronary too."

"God damn it! How the hell does this keep happening? What's wrong with our people that they can't stop these assaults?"

 **CIA Langley**

Two executives are talking. "The NSA got hit again. Another major hack attack on one of their mainframes."

"Yea," says the other, "Serves those computer geeks right. Oh, we lost two agents in Turkey. Got torn apart. There's a single witness who claims a _ghost_ did it. The guy was terrified. Said a flaming specter came out of nowhere…"

93


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **Get Merrin**

Chris Larabee has heard rumors of this man, The Heretic. He's supposed to be the last of the "founders" of that lawless pest-hole he just left. He doesn't seem like a bad dude, fiftyish and smiling at you. They never do…

"You're the second bunch of refugees Pariah's sent my way. I hope that you turn out to be as interesting and valuable as the last ones. I'm Damien Vanoy, welcome." He moves to shake Chris' hand.

He steps to one side as the girls tumble out of the airplane. His eyes go hard and frosty. "Came along for the ride, eh sister?" He snaps a quick glance at the plane. "And in one of Tuan's birds, minus Tuan's men."

"Yeah well, I heard the hard stuff was running low here, so I did my best to cut some corners. It sure is an honor to meet-"

"Which must be why you've taken to pushing drugs on the side."

Sushulana moves to one side, pulling Kendra along with her. Damien's people back away.

He continues, "But, that's not my problem. I want to know why an XPD has been added to my file. Being CIA, you should be able to help me out with that."

The nun sees Lori and her mouth drops open. A hand goes into her habit to get something.

Two big-bore Derringers appear in Damien's hands blasting away. All four rounds hit tumbling her down the runway, his last shot hitting her in the face. A Glock falls out next to her.

Damien sighs. "Dreadful etiquette. I apologize, but I wasn't about to turn my back on that snake. Seems as if she hitched a ride here just to kill me."

He faces Chris and the girls, trying to smile. "Let's find out who you three are."

There are half a dozen kids present, but they don't seem upset by what happened, and subtly take up positions behind Damien.

One of the smaller kids notices one of the women adjusting her headband and hair, "Do you have pointy ears?" After another kid nudges the first, "Like in SAO Two, right?"

Sushulana's face goes pale and her mouth drops. She drops her hands. A long, pointed ear is showing.

"What the hell's with that?" Damien utters, cocking his head to get a better look.

The Barbie-doll standing off to one side speaks with a mechanical voice. "Chris Larabe, Sushulana vin Treewater, Kendra Vaughn. Last reported by Terran intelligence agencies in Moldova. Those agencies lost track of you two hundred forty three point four seven days ago. Intermittent tracking has you crossing central Asia then flying here. The _Alien_ agent was unaware of Miss Treewater's importance as a psionic. The agent here is.

" _My_ Importance?"

"Yes, Miss Treewater. For the last four hundred six days, the powers of Terra have been collecting _psychics_ , using their terminology. You are at the top of every nation's list."

Damien gives Lori a sour look. "The gardener. It's time to take care him the way you wanted. Things are getting complicated."

"Understood." The Barbie doll, turns and walks off.

Damien turns back to Chris and his companions. "Let's get one thing straight. This is my _home_ , I _live_ here with my family."

He eyes Sushulana carefully. "I've heard of you. You're the one that put an end to that serial killer in Peru and made that Trawler disappear in the Baltic, right?"

"If I offer you sanctuary, it brings the number of guests to six." He jabs a finger towards Sushulana. " _She_ brought _you_ here, so we're still talking. You have Pariah's card, so I'll hear you out. What I want to know is why anyone in their right mind would pretend to be an elf for a disguise." He goes to touch her ears. "May I?"

She shrugs. "I guess you will anyway."

He flips her hair back giving her ears a quick feel. "Prosthetics don't have a pulse." He steps back. "To give you some indication of how things have been here lately, you aren't the strangest person to cross my threshold, not by a long shot."

Sushulana rolls her eyes and whispers to Kendra. "Just wait until he gets a load of Merrin."

A Pedi cab drops Lori off at the gate less than an hour later. She finds Damien. He is talking to Vondonna and Chris. They see her approach and stop their conversation.

Lori stops at military attention bowing slightly. "Mister Vanoy, the gardener is eliminated as a variable. His handlers are eliminated as a variable. Their data resources have been erased. I compute it will take at least six months for them to recover. Nothing can be traced to you."

Damien stares at Lori mouth slightly open. "You _what_?" He does a face-palm. "It's my fault. I should have been clearer, I really should of." He smiles at Lori. "Six months, eh? Thank you, violence in the workplace can be so inconvenient, even for spies. Have a good night."

Vondonna continues. "And I thought Kasakabe was the dangerous one of that pair… We knew the Gardener was a spy working for the Indonesian Government. This island is their territory. We've been using him for years to feed false, useless, out of date information to our "hosts" to keep them thinking that the Heretic is retired. Now..." She looks at Damien. "…Six months?"

Damien chuckles. "Von, be glad she's working for us. From what she's shown me and what I heard from a little mouse, she could plunge the whole planet into a nuclear war in a minute if she wanted to."

Vondonna looks at Lori walking away and shudders.

"I was thinking about how you did that to me when we first met…" Kotomi says to Lori as they watch a video cuddled up on a plush couch in their villa.

Lori softly cuts her off. "I was designed and manufactured to perform that function. I know how that sounds to you. Mister Vanoy was correct. The gardener had to be dealt with. I carried out my orders and eliminated him and his network."

"In your case Kotomi, Murotsu and I had just arrived on this world, under suspicious circumstances. You were the only connection we identified. We needed information, so we interrogated you. We had no intention of harming you. Does that answer your question?"

Kotomi shakes her head affirmatively.

Lori hugs her whispering, "You really are a wonderful person."

"I'm sorry Lori. It's just… I've been so scared lately. I love having someone who understands me and my work to talk to. I've never had that before and I don't want to lose you."

"You are safe. Murotsu and I will protect you."

Kotomi looks deep into Lori's eyes. "Who'll protect you?"

The video is the only sound.

"Can I ask how you do it?" Kotomi says.

"I produce a natural aphrodisiac as part of my body chemistry. I am immune to its effect. I can apply it by touch, kiss, or tears. All humans and human analogs are susceptible. I am irresistible when I use it."

Kotomi hesitates. "Lori, have you ever used that on me since that time in Chile?"

"No" Lori replies, struggling to not sound mechanical. "If I had, you and I would not enjoy the relationship we have. Your mind is strong enough that you would recognize what I had done and after the affect wore off you would hate me for having done it."

"Do be careful. My tears always contain that chemical. If you touch them you will be affected."

"That's so sad. You have no one who can wipe away your tears…"

 **CIA Headquarters**

"We lost another agent, this time in Southeast Asia. Not sure exactly what happened to her. Her last report was she was tracking the Treewater target. Said she had a lead on Ichinose and Sanparri to check out" one executive says.

The other nods. "Well, it wasn't like she was high on anybody's promotion list. Get a team together and put them in Jakarta. Got a nibble that an Indonesian internal spy group got wacked. Could be related to this."

A few days later, Damien calls a meeting to discuss a new operation. Sushi, to her annoyance the kids and now everyone else has dubbed her, is walking to it with Lori and Kasakabe. "Looks like it's about time for a power-lunch with the warlord. Can't keep him waiting." All of a sudden, she seems fresh and chipper.

Lori looks intensely at Sushi. "Understood."

Sushi eyes her carefully. "You're a rather interesting being, aren't you Lori? Tell me, have you ever wondered if you have a soul?"

"Yes."

"Then you do." Sushi replies.

Damien starts things off looking at Sushulana and Kasakabe. "That bar fight you two got into cost me a hundred and fifty million rupiah to hush things up."

Sushi snorts.

"There will not be a second time with Kasakabe" Lori says, pilot voice. "You will be reimbursed half that amount after this meeting Mister Vanoy. Or, would you prefer the full amount from us?"

"Well, at least somebody's paying attention" Damien growls. He pauses as the last of the people come in and find places to sit. "See? These women are incredibly helpful. You have no idea what a boost they give our operational capability."

"Ah, speaking of talented women," Damien glances at Chris, and then over at Sushulana, "What sort of skills do you bring to the table?"

She shrugs, gets herself a drink, and some grilled lobster. "What do you need?"

Damien frowns deeply as he finishes putting a pistol back together without looking at it. He stares at her. "You any good in a fight? Can you do recon? Can you... be distracting to men in a certain way?"

She makes a snorting noise. "I don't do seduction, it's more like a cult of personality." She sighs. "Yeah, I can fight, make myself look like anyone or nothing at all, and I don't really need your help to get in and out of wherever place you have in mind. But, you've got to be straight with me before I do _anything_ for you. You're going in to save a bunch of abused kids _and_ get the bastards who are doing it, right? Nothing else?"

Damien looks confused. "What else do you think we could be up to, or handle, with the resources we have?"

She gives Lori and Kasakabe a sideways glance. "Glad to hear it."

"Moving on then." Damien puts up a satellite photograph and beside it a topographical map of an area in North Korea. "This is the target. Lori has the details."

"That road looks good. We'll need a couple of recon people there ahead of us." he says.

Sushi nods. "Done."

Damien whips around to stare at her. "Not unless you can prove you're more than some trash-talking whack job."

"Trash...?" She goes over to the nearest trophy case and points at a random object, hissing something vile. The item crumbles to dust instantly. She turns and in the blink of an eye she is standing next to Luchaan and gooses him. He whirls around, and is confronting an Asian woman with short black hair.

She flops down on the floor, using the leg of the stuffed Crocodile as a backrest. She looks like herself again, tired, paler, and irritated. "Satisfied?"

"So, what exactly are we dealing with when it comes to you?" Damien growls.

"Just another refugee, looking for a way home."

"I will vouch for Miss Sushulana, with some reservations, as being useful to this operation. I think that Kasakabe should talk things over with her after the meeting." Lori looks at Kasakabe with a small nod.

Kasakabe closes her eyes becoming very still.  
"Pardon my interruption," Lori says. "I have tested the proposed flight plan and necessary logistics repeatedly. There are several issues that need resolution."

"I suggest any actions we take be carefully considered as the North Korean government is likely to react by mobilization of their military and a massive hunt for those causing the problem. This could precipitate a war. Of course, Mister Vanoy, this is your mission so you have the final decision."

Damien sits back rubbing his chin looking at the ceiling. "We could make plans to go either way. Maybe I should relinquish direct control over the scouting and diversion to the people who'll be on the ground doing it."

"First of all, Lori, what we really need is an electronic screen that makes us look like something we're not, or not register at all, to the Norks. Without that, this can't happen. We can fly on the deck directly under most of it. The crap the Nork's use for radar if it sees you, if it does at all, will be an echo."

"They intended the site to be inaccessible by land travel and consider an aerial assault impossible. The road running in front of the compound is sufficiently straight and the sides clear enough to allow the Caribou to land and take off."

Lori replies, "I worked out a flight path that avoids most of the _Alien's_ electronic devices and minimizes flight over populated areas. Flight through a number of canyons and between mountains in the dark is required. I will introduce countermeasures into their electronic systems that will take effect during this mission."

"For that portion of the flight where we are most vulnerable, the aircraft and gravcoupe will have to fly in close formation with the gravcoupe directly below and ahead. That will minimize the chance of detection. Once the formation is through the radar screen flying at low altitude will prevent further detection and there is no need for the gravcoupe or my jamming to be present."

Damien's jaw drops. "You can do _all_ that, from your coupe? As well as everything else?"

"Yes," Lori says, pilot voice.

"Well, we'll evacuate the compound anyway, just in case," Damien says. "The kids and the non-combatants can fly to Japan or the PI. They can go on the Caribou for the first leg of the trip."

Chris tips his hat up. "What about that guy, Merrin? He involved in any of this?"

"He's on this world, that's all I can say for sure," Sushi replies. "He could be looking in that window right now and unless somebody bumped into him... or maybe not. This area seems to be messing with my talents, maybe it'll have the same effect on him, at least until he learns to counter it. He's not the type to let problems dictate his actions. He solves them and goes on with what he wants to do."

"So, you _are_ some sort of psychic," Vondonna adds.

Sushulana frowns at her. "Look, for the last time, I'm not a fucking psychic! I don't work that way. Thaumaturgy, alchemy, enchantment, evocations, that's how I work."

Chris says, "You mean magic?"

Sushi rolls her eyes. "That's just a word people use to describe what they don't understand. I think, the key to beating him is to outsmart him, to do the unexpected. Wait... you said he communicated with Kasakabe, what did he say?"

"Wow, sucks to be you. He's going to ruin you, that's what he does to people he's too mad at to kill. He'll probably destroy those you love, kill or cripple them, or maybe drive them mad. Then he'll slowly close in on you, when you're not looking for it, and maybe leave you with no arms and legs to think about your... What did you do to make him upset, anyway? Hell, I don't know, I didn't even know he was doing any of this until you guys told me. But, whatever…"

Sushi downs a shot. "I suspected Merrin is losing his marbles. Little signs seem to point that way. Then, the old bastard got a hold of me and put the zap on my head. I spent thirty years thinking I was a human, a space-faring mercenary named Phaing."

"I lived a false life not even knowing it until someone noticed I wasn't aging. Had to spend a month with the best psi in the region to get my head straight, not to mention my ears, and I've been looking for him ever since."

"Now, I'm a Bloodhound, following his scent. Then the bottom dropped out of the Overworld and here I am. Something happened here that drew me in. It's up to you, but if you really want me to help, you should think about coming clean with me about your science project."

Chris snorts. "If something goes wrong with this operation, most of us will be dead before you know it. You want me to lead this, fine, but I still need to see how you run ops like this. It's probably your last one, isn't it?"

Damien is at a loss for words, for a moment. "Perhaps... I must be losing my grip, if any of you are talking to me like that." Damien rolls his eyes, and smiles.

Kasakabe turns and looks at him. There is malevolence in her eyes. "Kill all!" she hisses.

She and Sushi do a fist bump, staring at Chris with evil grins.

Luchaan grimaces muttering, "Just stay the hell away from me." He nods to his buddy, Mujo. "We got work to do. And nobody lives forever."

Sushi shrugs, smiling at Lori. "I get that a lot. You?"

"I will" Lori says with a flat certainty, looking at Luchaan. "I will live forever. There are five of me in service. If I die tomorrow my four sisters will live on and _Lori_ will too. Lori _**IS**_ immortal."

The boys look at her like she's insane. Sushi starts laughing.

Damien sits back and smiles. Before leaving for a smoke he says, "Alright _Kapitan_ , I'm putting you in charge of everything that flies while it's in the air. That includes anything I happen to be on board, for the duration of this job. Chris calls the shots with the snatch-team."

Sushulana acts restless and looks out at the clouds. "Might not be such a great night for camping out after all." She looks at Damien. "Walk me back to my lair, Warlord?"

 **Somewhere over the South China Sea.**

The Caribou has been airborne for an hour and a half, headed to Luzon. There is nothing but ocean eight thousand feet below. In the cargo compartment it is noisy and the drafty chill of air circulating through it make riding in the uncomfortable canvas on aluminum frame seats a test of endurance. Full of people and equipment, there's no space to get up and move around. The plane shakes and rattles, and the monotonous, roaring, drone of the engines is mind numbing.

Kotomi sits looking out one of the cargo bay windows. Flying alongside are Lori, Sushi, and Kasakabe in the gravcoupe. Kotomi stares at the sunset.

Akihiro, wearing his usual starched white shirt and thin black tie, leans over, "beautiful sunset!"

Kotomi looks at him and shakes her head "yes," giving him a weak smile. She points out at the gravcoupe. "I'd rather be over there! It's comfortable, and heated!"

She looks wistfully at Hiro. "The first time I ever paid attention to a sunset was a few years ago with Lori when she and Kasakabe took me on a flight to Chile. It was the first time I ever got to ride in the gravcoupe!"

The hours go by and darkness sets in. Except for the stars and navigation lights on the aircraft there is nothing to look at. Cloud cover has increased and the aircraft are now flying in and out of the top of it. Kotomi looks out the cabin window.

The lights on the gravcoupe go out. The bright blue of the drive is visible as the vehicle comes to full power and begins a steep climb. It disappears in seconds. The Caribou is buffeted by the thunder of a sonic boom.  
Damien shouts into the cargo bay, "They're on their way! Things have started!"

Hiro looks at Kotomi. "They'll be fine. They're professionals."

Kotomi bites her lip nodding.

Hiro taps her. He's holding out an MRE. "Dinner?"

Kotomi smiles shaking her head. She pulls a pack from under her seat. She pulls out two Ginsharian meal packs. "These are much better! Lori gave them to me for the trip!"

He looks at the mustard yellow package and the blocks of numbers printed on it. "What's this?"

"Just try it!" Kotomi replies. "You'll love it!

Just then something comes loose from the overhead of the compartment and clatters to the deck with a loud bang.

"That's not good!" Hiro shouts.

Damien looks at Hiro. "Don't worry about it! If it was important we'd be crashing rather that flying!"

 **0120: North Korea 39.406112 N, 126.786287 E, altitude 14,000 meters.**

"We are over the drop point" Lori announces in pilot voice. For the last two hours Kasakabe and Sushi have been "partying." They indulge in each other and several bottles of liquor. Lori looks at them questioningly.

"It'll only increase my mana" Sushi says.

Lori nods. "Understood. Do not leave the bottles in the vehicle."

"See you on the ground, bitch!" Sushi says blowing Kasakabe a sarcastic air kiss. "Pop!" She disappears.

Lori and Kasakabe put on their helmets and check their equipment.

"Set?" Lori asks.

"Good." Kasakabe opens the cabin door on her side turning on her thermoptics shimmering into nothing. "Back day, two!" she calls as she freefalls out of the gravcoupe.

Plummeting towards the ground Kasakabe uses clairvoyance and the suit's head up display to aim towards where Sushi landed. At a thousand meters she turns on her grav belt slowing her decent to land gently on her feet. On a dark hill side among the trees she and Sushi take a minute to plan their next move.

Kasakabe gets out the RATS she brought. "Spy. Do work. Lori tell what do after."

The RATS find the compound's two middle buildings are normal two-story hospital blocks. The building to the east nearest the one outside the wall is an admin building, three stories high. The building at the other end is one-story, has blacked-out windows, and a large chimney that is partly hidden.

The darkened window building gets Lori's attention and she has the RATS sniff around it extensively. That building has a dozen men in it, all armed, but the number varies. There are eight to ten guards on duty at any time and a couple more patrolling out in the countryside.

At midday, a truck arrives. It is backed up to the blacked-out building empty, then loaded, judging by the movement of the suspension.

There are sixty seven guards and eight dogs in the outer barracks. The admin building has twenty one people in it. The hospital buildings have a few staff in them, no patients and use little power.

Kasakabe and Sushi spend the day drinking and "playing around" while the RATS do the spying. Sushi shrugs when Kasakabe starts to use her clairvoyance. "Do you really think that old monster is down there, in that dump? If he is, it'd be a very, very bad idea to use your powers."

It is late into the night when Lori breaks into their fun. "The strike is approaching. Notify me when the Aliens on perimeter guard are annihilated."

Sushi looks at Kasakabe. "Let's make it quick. I want in that building with the black windows before the plane lands."

Kasakabe nods. "More for me!" She gives Sushi an evil grin.

Kasakabe uses near ZG bounds to leap on the guards in an aerial assault and hack them down without them ever seeing her coming. Sushi is just as creative, and as quiet.

 **Flight to target**

Chris considers the information Lori has relayed to them before giving a quick briefing to his team: "We don't have a confirmed location on the targets yet. I suspect they'll be in one of the hospital buildings, or the one without windows. We will need to move fast and hit all of those."

Kasakabe takes care of outside guards, tearing four of them to pieces. One tried to sneak up behind Sushi, Kasakabe sloshed him all over her.

"What the hell?" She hisses at Kasakabe.

Kasakabe gives her a toothy grin.

At the darkened building they find the front door is some sort of polymer several inches thick.

Sushi does a transformation into a semi-transparent hideous phantom. She passes through a tiny crack in the door-jamb. A long minute goes by. Kasakabe can hear the engines of the Caribou as the door opens. Inside, are eight men on the floor without a mark on them, as Sushi returns to her normal state.

One of the men snores. Sushi looks at Kasakabe, grinning evilly. She pulls out a scimitar. It's a race to see who can tear them to pieces.

There is staircase leading down. Two soldiers have killed each other in a knife fight on them.

Sushi spits on one of them. "Guess I'm still pretty hot as a brunette. I told them the winner could have me."

A camera covers the stairs. Sushi flips it the bird. Kasakabe's thermoptics make her invisible to it. Sushi follows the invisible Kasakabe holding her shoulder down the long flight of stairs to a dimly lit room about five meters on a side.

Chris steps out of the cockpit into the cargo hold. "All right! Two minutes! Stand to!" He walks through the bay speaking directly in their ears. "Security team off first. Machine gunners to your posts. We land, scan the area, then the strike team moves out. I need that to happen in under two minutes once the wheels stop rolling."

Dannon makes a gut-wrenching approach. She turns in a steep, fluttering, dive flattening out at the last moment. They land on the road and she pulls up to the lot in front of the barracks sending up a cloud of dust and leaves from the reversed props.

There are soldiers piling out of the main entrance. They are headed into the compound. Most freeze and stare at the plane with wide eyes. They look each other, then the plane. Kendra behind a machinegun mows them down.

Damien is out, hooded and cloaked, looking like a hunch-backed monster of some sort, he hustles towards the open door. As he reaches it, an Officer in camo cut dress-uniform nearly runs into him. The officer fires his pistol, one of those big Russian pistols that fires small bullets in bursts. He stitches Damien across the chest staggering him a little.

Damien is about to butt-stroke the officer when a round from the machinegun flips him into the building. He bulls his way into the building, closing the door behind him.

Dannon keeps the props turning. She looks out the cockpit windows at the carnage in the courtyard as Chris leads his team into the compound. An RPG round detonates in a window of the top floor of the building.

Chris hears Sushi and Kasakabe talking on the comm link. Most of their chatter is profanities hurled at each other. The two hospital buildings are quiet. The admin building has lit up like a Christmas tree. A stream of flame shoots out a window.

Chris nods to Lexi. "Stay here. Do what you think's best, but I'd better have a plane and no one lighting my back up when I come back."

Dannon turns the plane to move it to take off position. She shakes visibly and is breathing heavily.

"Status report!" Chris calls on the team frequency. He swaps to the frequency used by Sushi and Kasakabe. "I need a location, otherwise I'm out here in the dark ladies."

Kasakabe taps her helmet. A holographic display pops up on Chris' perscomm showing her location and potential targets. Profanity fills the speakers. The link fills with static and goes silent.

"That's not good" Chris mutters. He leads his team forward, cover to cover, heading for the blacked out building.

A soldier in heavy body armor comes out of the Admin building. He's firing an AK from his hip. Luchaan puts a 40mm grenade into his chest tearing him apart.

Someone else on the team puts two more rounds with an RPG into the top story of the Admin building, adding to the conflagration.

The stairs open into a small room.

"This isn't good" Sushi hisses.

A machinegun starts firing blindly, hitting Kasakabe with a round. Her suit absorbs the hit knocking her back into the wall.

Sushi begins to mutter an incantation.

Kasakabe catches a whiff of something that reminds her of stormy weather. At the same time, a bolt of Lightning arcs from Sushi into the armored door the machinegun was firing through. It begins to glow orange and there are the "bangs" of ammunition cooking off.

Kasakabe shakes her head. Out of the corner of her eye she notices a second door start to open. An arm holding a grenade emerges. The door is too far away for her to do anything.

Kasakabe pulls Sushi back turning and kneeling to shield her. "Grenade!"

The grenade detonates, the room filling with dense, acrid smoke.

"Sushi! 'kay?"

She looks back at Kasakabe with glazed eyes.

" 'Kay?"

Sushi shakes her head and points loosely at her ear.

Kasakabe makes hand gestures showing there are two doors and pointing out where they are. She moves to the ceiling of the room using her ZG equipment and heads to one of the doors.

As she reaches it, she detects a man behind it, with another grenade, getting ready to pull the same trick. A second man is with him holding a pistol in one hand and the Grenadier's belt gripped firmly in the other.

At the other door, Sushi senses four guys approaching, with more on the way.

Kasakabe, her reflexes heightened with awareness, waits until the guy pulls the pin on his grenade. She kicks the door in the guy's face causing him to fall backwards, dropping the grenade. She moves to clear the swing of the door.

Sushi slaps a talisman on the door she's at and sprints towards Kasakabe as the grenade goes off. The door Sushi was at opens right after the blast. There is a high pitched wailing that crumbles into silence.

Ignoring what is happening in the smoke behind her Sushi holds the door open for Kasakabe. As she enters, she sees a tall man in a turban with two swords he positions for offense. She flings a dagger at him. Being cloaked, he doesn't see her, his gaze fixed on Sushi. It hits him in the chest and he topples over convulsing horribly. His mouth starts to foam. Kasakabe tears him apart with her blades.

She stops Sushi. Frustrated with Sushi not being able to hear, she raises her visor then slaps her hands over Sushi's ears. Closing her eyes she focuses and heals her hearing.

Sushi stares at her, teeth clinched. "Why the hell did you slap me?"

"Hear now stupid fa'yu" Kasakabe hisses.

Sushi flips her off.

Chris motions the strike team through the compound to the darkened building. "That's where the test subjects have got to be. Let's go, and don't think about using an elevator."

They rush the darkened building. "I want any basement cleared first, before they show up with reinforcements. We aren't getting paid to be buried here!" Chris shouts.

The first room they enter has eight bodies in it. All have had their throats slit, many are dismembered or disemboweled. Weapons lay discarded on the floor, not a spent cartridge case in sight. At the top of the stairs leading down are two more men, who appear to have knifed each other. One is beheaded.

Chris gets to the head of the stairs. Kasakabe's and Sushi's comm start coming in again. "This is Wyoming, where are you?"

"Down stair, go straight," Kasakabe replies.

Vondonna leads the way. She looks at the silenced machine pistol she's carrying, shrugs, and continues down the stairs. At the bottom the stench nearly makes her vomit. The smoldering remains of seven dismembered soldiers that have burst open lie scattered around the space. Acrid smoke lingers. She avoids a pile of four men lying near a scorched door.

"V", Chris snaps pointing towards that door. "Hold position here, call in any movement, any at all. Get some cover."

Vondonna gives him a dark look trying to cover her nose and mouth and stop her dry heaves. She gingerly steps through the remains taking a post in the corner between the doors.

"Lu, you stay with V, you're traffic control to the surface. This is our rally point, we do not lose this room. Everyone else, drop stretchers and med kits here."

Luchaan twists his lip up, moving next to Vondonna. He looks up at the machine gun hanging limp and begins to hammer the barrel, succeeding in jamming it in place.

Chris jogs back up the stairs and calls Damien. "Vladimir, this is Wyoming. Standby for two zero PAX, break off one for escort." He doesn't wait for an answer.

Moving into the hallway beyond the door, stepping over dead soldiers, he comes on a row of cells. Each one has several children about eight to twelve years old in it.

Chris ducks back into the room, slinging his submachinegun and pulling his shotgun out. "K, you have point, if it's not Sushi or Kasakabe, kill it. Z, we blast only when necessary, keep your charges ready. Clear one cell at a time and shuttle the kids to Lu who shuttles them to the bird. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast."

Kendra stops at an intersection just past the cells. She looks at Chris for direction on which way to go.

"K, hold position there till we get this batch out." With Zel's, help, Chris hustles the kids back to Luchaan.

"Lu, take point getting them upstairs" he calls. "Be careful, no reason to get shot. V, we'll be done here shortly, just hang on."

Luchaan bounds up the stairs with the children on his heels. Zel takes off back down the hall towards Kendra.

Chris follows the kids to the top of the stairs and calls Damien. "Vlad, we're out." He shouts at his team, "If any of our charges fight us, knock 'em the fuck out." He heads back down the stairs.

Chris squeezes Kendra's shoulder as he hefts his shotgun. "We've got all we can take already. Move back to the first room where the stairs are. Where are Sushi and Kasakabe?"

He calls them. "Sitrep, cellblock clear. We have all we can take. If they've got powers you two need to handle it before we get them loaded, I don't want my team getting scrambled. Pull back, we're getting ready to leave."

Chris holds position for the moment, looking at the hallway and his watch. "Working on six minutes since touchdown..." He transmits on the team net. "Equipe coup, two minute warning. Pass it on to Vlad. Let's hustle!"

 **Gravcoupe at 20,000 meters**

The vehicle hovers in the still, frigid, night air.

Rama turns to Lori. "Um Lori, what are these?" He points at several new returns on the scanning equipment.

Lori gives them the barest glance touching the display to make some adjustments.  
She contacts the ground party. "The North Korean air force has launched six MiG Twenty One fighters. ETA six minutes, forty seconds. Orders Mr. Vanoy?"

Kasakabe looks at Chris. She points at the ceiling of the tunnel, "Be there. Follow meter, two 'kay?" She turns to Sushi. "Act as one. No more grenade 'kay?"

Hearing their 'discussion' such as it is, Chris makes the call. "All right, we need to hit only where we think we'll find more subjects. We don't need to waste our time on a low probability search. Kasakabe, Sushi, can you find any more subjects nearby? I say we fall back and save what we can. Better to get twenty out clean than to get blown out of the sky with twenty five. We have an obligation to those we've already rescued we have to consider."

Kasakabe drinks one of the three psi enhancers she brought with her. After she does she uses clairvoyance again looking for "targets."

Kasakabe looks at Sushi pointing down a side hallway. "Merrin here. Down there." Pointing her hand back and forth between them, "Fight?"

Sushi hesitates. Then, a wicked grin starts to come over her, but in the time it takes her to start to lean forward...

Chris jerks his fist into the air. "Negative. We do not engage. Far too many innocents at stake to go after him. We evac with the kids, and gather as much information as we can. I want to know what he's doing here, and why he's in a compound in North Korea. Whatever we can gather on that we do on the way out."

Chris waves his team back towards the entrance. "We're clearing out. Move! V, we're coming your way. Lu check topside. Lu, notify Vladimir that the situation is critical, and be ready for hot extract."

Chris and his team head towards the steps at a run, bounding back up the hallway to Vondonna. He fingers a grenade, glancing over his shoulder several times.

"It'll takes us about a minute to get out of here, a detour to ransack and office will be way over ninety seconds. We don't have any more time, so let's..."

" _ **WHERE DO YOU THINK**_ _ **YOU'RE**_ _ **GOING?"**_

Zel falls to her knees, and over the comm comes Vondonna's shriek that ends in a moan. Sushi shakes it off almost instantly. Kendra and Chris teeter on the brink of an abyss. Kasakabe falls to her knees fighting darkness.

 _YOU..._ _ **YOU!**_ _WHY?_

Those teetering on the edge come back a fraction of eternity. Zel, and Vondonna lie twitching on the floor. Kasakabe is back on her feet, shaking her head.

"Muro, help me get them out of here!" Sushi calls. She turns and looks in the direction of Merrin, "As for why you old goat, 'cause I'm not giving up on life!" At the top of the stairs, Sushi tosses a gas grenade down them then slams the door shut.

Outside, Damien is standing in the shattered gateway. He waves to the group then turns towards the Caribou. Chris, still wobbling, reaches him. Damien is staggering and has left his weapons behind. Lidanya and Lexi help him to the plane.

Zel and Vondonna are laid on tarps on the cargo deck. They aren't moving and stare blankly outward. Damien collapsed as soon as he got aboard.

Kasakabe looks at Chris and Sushi on the plane's cargo ramp. She taps her chest and points upwards. "Go Lori." She points at them, "Take plane. Go!"

"Lori, pick up. On way." Kasakabe turns her grav belt on and shoots straight up into the sky becoming invisible in less than a second.

"Understood. Rama, helmet." Lori says, donning her own. She depressurizes the gravcoupe and moves to meet Kasakabe at 10,000 meters.

"Rama, open your door."  
Kasakabe climbs in. She and Rama jostle to fit in the passenger side of the vehicle. With the door closed Lori heads to escort the Caribou out of the country.

Chris yells back into the cargo bay, "Strap in, it's going to be a rough ride!" He hops into the co-pilot's seat looking at Dannon. "Ok, ready for some fun? We're going to show those MiGs what this plane was made for. Keep it on the deck, and as fast as you can. We're going nap of the earth in a plane that can out turn them low and slow."

Dannon shakes her head but her eyes say otherwise. Biting her lip, and brings the engines up to full power.

In the gravcoupe Lori puts up a holo-display up showing the positon of the MiGs. Her fingers fly over the controls and she looks like she's in a trance.

"Pilot mode" Kasakabe whispers to Rama. "Here," she hands a large plastic bag to Rama, taking one for herself.

Rama looks oddly at the bag. Kasakabe makes the motions of getting air sick and vomiting.

"Mister Vanoy, two Alien fighter aircraft are threats. Moving to exterminate."

The gravcoupe's drive lights up bright blue and the vehicle streaks away from the Caribou. "Time to intercept two minutes, twelve seconds."

The gravcoupe is moving over Mach two, closing on a parabolic curve from above and behind the jets at 500 meters a second. As they come into firing range, Lori stands the vehicle on its nose applying every bit of braking she can to end up directly behind them slightly below their altitude at a range of a couple hundred meters. Rama and Kasakabe nearly smash into the windscreen as their harnesses strain to keep them in the seat.

The gravcoupe matches the plane's speed as she opens fire with the laser on the trailing machine spraying it from wing tip to wing tip. Sidestepping that plane in a vicious high G horizontal movement, the MiG comes apart like a three dollar suit. Lori accelerates after the lead plane as it tries to turn and roll in an attempt to scissor with the unseen enemy.

Lori mercilessly chops that aircraft into little pieces. "Mister Vanoy, the _Aliens_ have been annihilated. Continue your withdrawal."

Kasakabe looks at Lori in disappointment. "That too easy. No fun! Want real ride!"

A broad valley comes to life. Two light AA guns open fire ahead of them.

Chris has a bad moment and a crash-course in evasive maneuvers from Dannon, getting dumped out of his seat, when another AA gun opens fire. Instead of little yellow streaks, it's big orange balls coming up.

Lori hears Chris on the radio. "Wyoming, we're egressing. Thanks for the assist Raptor two, you're clear for Winchester. Raptor six, you're clear to engage."

"Two of the remaining four _Aliens_ are threats" she says. "Moving to exterminate."

She slices the MiG's apart with laser fire. One pilot manages an ejection. The bright pink gravcoupe passes by him a dozen meters away, Rama giving him the finger, he watches in a half-conscientious daze, hanging in his parachute, as the blue of its drive disappears from sight. "Ewooh F O!"

On the Caribou, the cargo bay is in chaos. Damien is in bad shape, pale with a bloody field dressing on his left shoulder. Vondonna and Zel are huddled in a corner eyes half rolled up as their heads loll around. The kids they rescued are anything from silent, staring into nothing, to screaming in panic at the lurching and bumping of the plane.

Luchaan sits staring into nothing at the carnage, his pants soaked with urine. Chris is distracted by Lori and the air fight. Lidanya, the same age as the kids stands up, hanging on to the side of plane. "You're safe now! We're taking you somewhere wonderful! It'll be just a little longer!"

A couple of kids try to comfort and look after Vondonna and Zel. They act like they've seen what happened to them before. A couple more tend to Damien. The rest quiet down, huddled together, some hugging each other, others just laying their head where they can try to sleep as the plane's flight smooths out.

118


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **A Fine Mess… Merrin's Revenge**.

Kotomi and Hiro took a train to Tokyo for some sightseeing. Kotomi wanted to go to the Akihabara to look for a better laptop. Finding one she liked she paid in yen. "Lori told me not to use credit cards." That evening in a very posh traditional Japanese restaurant they sit in a tatami room they have to themselves.

"It's nice to have a break from the craziness isn't it?" Hiro asks.

"For me it's never ending. It began long before I got involved with people from other worlds," Kotomi replies. "It's also the first time in my life I truly haven't been lonely. I do hope everyone's okay, you know where."

"You know, I feel that way sometimes," Hiro replies. "It's all crazy, but I feel alive, not trapped like I did when I was a salary man here in Japan. I got the impression that Sanparri and Kasakabe are as dangerous as a pair of Ojuo would be. I'm sure they'll be just fine."

Kotomi twists her lip. "You're right, they are dangerous. But, they really just want to go home. That led to what I'm doing now."

"I'm meeting a sales rep from Doosan Heavy Industries in the morning about my fifty megawatt superconducting generator to produce the field effect. Then I have a meeting with a man from Akusa Power to see about the hypergolic fuel turbine…"

The mission is in the news. The North Koreans are losing their minds, accusing the Chinese saying they tried to make it look like it was South Korea. Both Koreas are mobilizing for war.

When everyone arrived back at the hotel there was a message waiting for Kotomi. Hiro looks at it as she reads it. It is nothing but a mass of numbers.

"What's all that about?" Hiro asks.

"It's in Ginsharian" Kotomi says. "They've gotten out of North Korea successfully. Lori wants us to return to the compound as soon as possible."

Hiro looks questioningly at Kotomi, "You can actually read that?"

Aboard the Caribou, Chris does a double-take. He stares at Vondonna. She looks at Chris, angling her head like something's decidedly not right. "That... is... interesting. Her human eyes see you standing there. But something's wrong."

"I didn't think it'd be easy to rescue a planeload of children from the world's most notorious psychopaths." Chris says, standing up and leaning with one arm up against the side of the plane, the other hand resting near one of his pistols. He chuckles. "Let me guess, she can see me, but you can't?"

Vondonna jumps to her feet. "HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?"

"We all have our talents. Nice to meet you Merrin. Heard you and some other powerful beings ran afoul of one another in a space warp or something, and now you go around punishing worlds for their sins."

"But, for the life of me, I can't figure out why someone so ungodly powerful, who's supposed to be punishing evil would join up with the worst offenders this world knows. Sounds like you need to do some soul-searching of your own."

Chris turns towards the cockpit. "Oh, and let that little one go, it's embarrassing that you're using a little girl like that. You want to punish this world for its sins, fine. But you can't punish something that you're more evil than to start with."

"Trying to taunt me into a meeting? Trap me, perhaps? Better men, better _things,_ have tried," the puppet replies. "A brush with me awakens many things, but you already know it was not _**I**_ who started that project. Things will be different for you now that you can see them."

Sushi tackles Vondonna shrieking, her hands glowing blue. She grabs Vondonna's head. "Look at me, Merrin, I'm with them, _not you_!" She turns the head to look at Damien, who is trying to get to his feet. "Vondonna, he needs _you_ , wake up!"

Vondonna's head lops over to one side and her eyes roll up. Barely conscious, she is propped up in Damien's lap.

Sushi whirls to face Chris. "What the hell was that? You have second sight now, _do_ _you_?"

Chris walks up to her. "I'm not entirely sure what it is. It's something I wasn't born with, that's for sure. I almost died years ago, and the medicine man that found me told me I'd hidden from death, and that the only ones who could do that were spirit walkers. Ever since, I've been able to read intent, like when we fought those guys in Bulgaria. I could tell which one was going for his gun first, and which way they were going to move. I can't see things before they happen, just what someone's about to do."

"It also seems that I'm able to hide from the trickster, or in this case Merrin. As for him, I don't care if I have to personally crawl up his ass dragging a Trident missile behind me, I'm going to kill that SOB. Kasakabe told me the same thing. Seems she has something like it too, and for much the same reason."

Sushi curls her lip up and plops into a seat. "Whatever. Now that we backed off hitting him in his lair, he'll move to hit us in ours. That's not something peculiar to him, it's how tactics work back home." She looks at Chris. "I don't really know what a Trident missile is, but I have to ask… Do you think it'll be enough?"

 **Singapore Air 777 over the South China Sea**

The man sitting next to Kotomi gets up and heads aft. Two minutes later someone else casually sits down.

"That other fellow won't be reclaiming his seat." Pariah smiles at Kotomi.

"I hear you're getting along quite well. Lori won't return my E-mails. That's fine though. You've been the most successful group of people I've dealt with. However, if a war were to start in Asia, it could complicate things." He orders a double Scotch from the stewardess. "War isn't something that puts your species in the best light."

He sips his drink. "Where to start? The beginning would seem to be the right place. I have to tell this the way I heard it, in the _first_ person. Oh, you can record this in case you're feeling guilty about that device in your pocket."

Pariah launches into a long tale of how Merrin came to be.

Kotomi listens intently.

It takes him awhile and the airplane is now on approach for landing.

"I've suffered incredible loss in my own life" she says quietly. "My parents died when I was a young girl. They never got to tell me all of what they wanted. I discovered with Lori and Kasakabe a truth I never knew my first time riding into space with them." Tears stream down Kotomi's cheeks.

"I didn't ask for this! I can't be the savior of the world! It's not in me! What can I do? Please tell me!"

"You were on your own last time, and you did well. This time, you're surrounded by allies and friends. Don't you trust them?" Pariah asks.

"What should you do? Well, you might start by not concealing the information I've given to you from the others. You and your friends from the future have been holding back a lot."

"As I told you, you stop Merrin by convincing him that he's wrong about your world, your race. You can do that, and if you can't then maybe someone else you know _can_."

Lori heads the gravcoupe out for Taiwan. "Kasakabe, _do_ _not_ to kill anyone or do anything that will alert Merrin to your presence, or gets the authorities involved. _Understood?_ "

Lori and Rama head home once Kasakabe is dropped off. Lori starts collecting data on the facility they were at as well as tracking Merrin now that she knows where he is. She looks for demonstrations of psionic powers by anyone at that facility.

The Caribou arrives at an old airfield on the northeast corner of Taiwan, and is met by Catholic Missionaries. They seem astonished at how many kids are on the plane and how good their condition is. It's the talk among the missionaries that is more disturbing. "They got them out of _North_ Korea?"

Chris comes off the plane behind the children, making sure they're all off. He's no longer in battle gear. He puts his face in shadow as he glides down the ramp towards the missionaries. Walking up behind their hushed conversation. "I assure you it would be an exceedingly stupid and fatal idea for any of this to get out."

The missionaries turn to stare at him. "Are you the one in charge?" one asks.

"I'm acting commander. My employer is temporarily unavailable."

"Why would we want to keep quiet about this?"

"Because those are kids. Some of them might be a bit different than others, but they're still children, and deserve a chance at a normal life. You go talking, you'll deny them that. If one government or another doesn't come take them from you, it'll be the media. Or something far worse."

"What could be worse?" another asks.

"You don't want to know. Let's just say it's biblical. You need keep that in mind."

"What, or maybe I should ask who, are we dealing with here?" an older nun asks, her hands on hips, chin in the air.

Chris raises his head enough that she's staring into his eyes, blue chips of pure ice and a smile that barely tugs at the corner of his mouth, "Me."

Another missionaries asks, "What do you want us to do?"

"It's simple" Chris replies softly. "Do what's been arranged. Take the kids. Take care of them, let them grow up, and live their lives quietly."

The nun nods. "Very well. We can get on to more important things then. Some of us must be going so that others can make the arrangements to leave."

Chris helps them load the kids up on the transport they provided.

Chris finds Damien, still in the Caribou. "Well, they didn't completely like my terms, but I think I got my point across. Those kids will have a chance, which is a sight better than I thought they'd get."

"Have Dannon, fly the Caribou home. I'll take a chartered jet." Damien chuckles, coughing heavily. "I think I'm done with ancient planes for now."

Chris pats the side of the old bird. "Now, now he didn't mean it like that. You just don't come with a drink cart. Who do you want to work out a jet with? I presume you have some history with a charter company? Maybe one of your operatives can handle the arrangements?" Chris turns to leave.

Kasakabe appears literally out of nowhere next to the nun after the others have headed off. She has a large blade out menacing her. "Take care children or Owato come" she hisses. "No like Clan come. Do right. Know will." She vanishes again.

Chris sees this as he heads back down the plane's ramp. She pops up next to him with a, _I want to kill something grin._ "Get drink. Talk _Merrin_."

"Sounds good. Know where I can get a decent Whiskey around here? I could use a drink before we start working on how to deal with that problem."

Kasakabe pulls out a perscomm. "Lori, bar, close. Calalli whiskey."

A map pops up. "Six choices within ten kilometers" Lori says.

Kasakabe holds the display out where Chris can see it. "Choose."

Sushi looks over Chris' shoulder. She points at one of the choices. "I like that one or can't I come too?"

It's a bar that looks to be in a decent, if old, part of town.

Walking in, Chris moves towards a wall, his demeanor discouraging conversation. He orders a double of what is likely the only whiskey in the bar, then turns towards Kasakabe and Sushi. "Seems we're the ones that're going to have to take care of that rather irritating problem."

Kasakabe, looks Chinese drawing no attention from anyone unlike the two "Westerners." She gets a bottle of shochu and two glasses, paying with several $50 NT coins.

Tossing the glass down, she pours another. "Merrin. Kill punji. Die coward." She takes a sip and starts telling them about him as she turns the perscomm where they can see the data Lori has acquired.

Chris nods. "Finding him is going to be a pain in the ass. I don't want to run into him with a team and a few grenades. I'd really like to be able to shove a nuke up his ass and pull the pin."

Sushi gives him a look, once she gets her second shot down. "You and Damien, going on about nukes like you can actually get one. Why don't we just turn his tricks against him? You know, mind- _blank_ ing somebody that's already going nuts can't be that hard, can it?"

Chris chuckles. "Wouldn't know. But, I like the idea of nuking him because when someone dies in a radioactive fireball, they usually stay dead."

Sushi gets up to use the little girl's room…

Pariah walks up and sits down. He seems bemused and a little drunk.

Kasakabe twists her lip, eyes slits, and signals the bartender for another glass.

Chris' eyes are riveted on Pariah. "I see we meet once more. Every time we do it's for the strange." Sliding up closer to the old man, "And, what might this meeting be for? I hope it contains a way to deal with our mutual problem."

Kasakabe pours Pariah a big drink, one for herself, and Sushi. "How kill Merrin?" she asks, downing hers.

Pariah glares at Kasakabe'. "I _**told**_ you how, you surprise him. You did that last night, he was a hundred feet away and you backed off! Why? What were you thinking?"

Kasakabe eyes him through slits. "Order leave. Ask fight." She grinds her jaw looking at Chris. "Boss say no."

Sushi comes back. "Well, well, the oracle has returned, uninvited as usual. The Gods must be confused, or afraid things aren't going according to plan." She snatches up the drink Kasakabe poured for him, while Pariah does a surprisingly human eye-roll, sighing heavily.

Chris slides Pariah what would have been his second drink. "It's Japanese whiskey. A lot like scotch, if it was made by people suffering from OCD."

As Pariah takes the drink, Chris continues. "I ordered the withdrawal. It was more important to save the kids than to go after him unprepared. After all, if we put death above life, then is our civilization really worth saving?"

Leaning in close, Chris whispers. "And only two of us were capable of going after him. You told me about some abilities that I might have gotten during my near-death experience. I think that psychic episode with Merrin triggered them. At least I can see things more clearly now, and Merrin acted like he couldn't see me. I need to learn how to use them. Instincts aren't something I can rely on going after someone like him."

Kasakabe looks at Pariah with one of those _I have a crazy idea_ kind of looks. "Lori immune Merrin? Psi no effect."

"Lori is a non-entity as far as he's concerned. A clever machine that, while dangerous, is nothing but an extension of _you_ , mercenary. You might want to keep it that way, unless you want him to throw her some of the same grief he's been sending your way. He killed Kim to distract you and throw your little group into chaos."

He cuts Kasakabe's reaction short.

"You got off lucky. There were two other groups of people who had a chance of stopping him. He eliminated them. He drove the Shamans in the Black Hills to despair and turned the Mystics in the Balkans against each other." He turns to Sushi. "Yes, _those_ Mystics, so you better commit here, your fallback plan is null and void."

Chris nods. "You've been around long enough to know that I don't shirk when something needs to be done. If Merrin was just good and a bullet could stop him, I'd go for it alone and right now. But he's not. He's something else entirely. Now I have some sort of skill that's letting me see more than I've ever seen before. I could go after him half-cocked, but that'd be suicide."

"I'm a soldier, I like surviving, and knowing my weapons and how to use them. So I need someone to teach me. Then I'm going to go kill that SOB. I liked the Shamans, they did me a big favor. So I owe it to them, if nobody else, to get him."

Kasakabe stares at Chris. She produces a small vial with a yellow liquid in it, like a magic trick, pushing it in front of him. "Not lot left. Enhancer. Drink psi lot stronger."

Pariah sneers. "Is there no shortage of addictive chemicals on this planet?"

"Not of planet. Future. No addict. Work," she hisses back.

Pariah shakes his head then stares at them. "One thing is certain. Merrin will not wait for any of you to find him again _. H_ _e_ will be coming for _you_."

Following the raid, things settled back into the usual routine at Damien's compound. Kotomi's ship was now in orbit, nearly fully assembled. Lori concentrated on tracking Merrin and his minions. She found Merrin's "assistants," based on data she got from the raid, were easily tracked. While this didn't give her direct access to Merrin's movements it gave her a good idea what he was up to and where he was.

They had fanned out in small groups, the exact make-up kept changing. The harder they tried to make things look random, the clearer the pattern became. All of them began to converge on the Gulf of Thailand and the southern end of the South China Sea. With Merrin it seemed she was always one step behind him. She could track financial transactions and other things like that but it didn't give her his location or intentions.

Chris asks a question to everyone one day back on the island. "This thing looks like it's coming to a head. We've got things to do, and that's not the least of it. Before this is over people are going to die, but whatever Merrin's got planned it'll mean the end of us all if we don't stop it. Who's willing to go with me on this, to the end, whatever end it is?"

"I won't let more people die. My world won't end. I can't stop Merrin alone, but together we can. I know it," Kotomi replies. "I want to see Lori's world when this ends. My ship's almost ready."

"I'd agree Kotomi" Chris says. "That'd be interesting, and this world is getting too small for a dead cop and sometimes mercenary to hide in anymore. If I survive this, I might just join you, or Sushulana."

Damien nods. "We all seem to have ships of one sort or another in our futures."

The one most affected events is Kendra. She goes on a trip to Jakarta and does not come back. She leaves a note for Chris, wishing him luck with his journey with that elf, saying she can't handle all the weirdness and has to get home while she still knows how to deal with reality.

Luchaan asks Chris, "Can she really be trusted to keep her mouth shut?"

Chris shows him the note. He nods.

Vondonna and some of the older kids start loading a small coastal drifter. She starts spending her time there. She rarely answers her phone or the ship's radio. The compound becomes emptier and quieter as the children find places on the ship.

Kasakabe's older apprentice kids disappear, often taking a younger one with them. "Owato ready" she tells Damien.

139


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **Into Space**

Over several months Lori used the gravcoupe to take Kotomi's ship components to orbit. Each section was mostly finished at the compound then welded together once there. Dannon and Rama are the first ones to do the assembly work in space, helped by Lori and Kasakabe. Additional trips delivered other components.

The solar arrays went up and got added to the ship to power it after the first few hull modules were assembled. They added the wave guides for the jump system then hauled the outer skin for it up.

Chris and Vondonna show up as one of Kotomi's specially made cargo containers is strapped under the gravcoupe. "What's going up tonight?" he asks.

Kotomi, bouncing up and down, replies, "Just general supplies and stuff, but Dannon and Rama are going to stay aboard for the next week! It's a real space ship! I can hardly wait! My turn to stay aboard is next!

 **NSA headquarters, USA**

"Sir" an analyst says, laying a folder on her supervisor's desk. "An amateur astronomer photographed an unknown satellite in a near polar southern orbit at one hundred forty five miles height. NASA has confirmed its existence with radio telemetry and additional photographs."

The supervisor looks over the photos and other data in the folder. "Okay, so whose is it? What's its purpose?"

"That's just it sir. We know it's about eighty feet long and has a solar power array. That's pretty typical for a large satellite. Electronic emissions are all but nonexistent from it. There are no obvious external devices like antennas or camera apertures. The only external items seem to be some large cooling devices or something like that. The analysts can't figure out what purpose it has. Spectral analysis says its aluminum, magnesium and lanthanum. That last one is really unusual. "

"There's another strange thing. It seems that some sort of delivery system arrives every few days. We have limited trajectory data on it, and it seems to originate from somewhere in Southeast Asia on a flight path that doesn't match anything we can attribute to China or Japan. It certainly isn't either nation launching conventional rockets."

The supervisor rubs his chin. "I see. Let me take this up the chain."

A senior executive looks through the folder, closing it. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. That'll be all. I'll handle it from here." He dials the phone. "Cheryl, get General Robbin at Air Force Space Command for me, please."

"General, how soon can the Air Force put an X-37 up for a close fly-by of this satellite. We think it's a new spy satellite. Two weeks? Good, do you need anything from us to make that happen…?"

Lori sits down with Damien and Kotomi in her villa. She brings up one of her holographic displays. "The United States, China, and European Union have discovered Kotomi's starship. The Russians are looking for it but lack facilities in the Southern Hemisphere for that purpose. They have detained six of our suppliers. They are becoming, to use their term, _nervous._ "

"This is a big problem" Damien says. "How long until you can make an attempt?"

"It'll be another month or so before the ship is ready," Kotomi replies.

"One or more of these political entities might try to interfere" Lori adds.

"You know, if Earth wasn't falling into a world war I wouldn't care," Damien replies. "But it is, and we all know why. If we can't get Merrin, that ship might be the only thing that saves us."

 **NSA headquarters USA**

"Gentlemen, what we have here appears to be the rumored 'starship' of Kotomi Ichinose. From the bits of paper tail we have on it, the dimensions, to the odd orbit it's in, it matches what we've been able to piece together about its existence."

There are grainy pictures of Kotomi's ship displayed on large wall screens.

"Is it true she has _alien_ assistance?" One of the men at the table asks.

"That's highly doubtful," the analyst replies. "From her published papers and patents we know she's developed the systems she's using on her own. She's incredibly brilliant. What we've been unable to figure out is how she's getting everything in orbit."

Another manager looks over his glasses at the analyst. "The pink space Ferrari I suppose…" That brings laughter.

"That is a persistent rumor from that part of the world" the analyst replies. "I wouldn't discount it entirely. Maybe she is getting _outside_ help."

"It's possible, however remote," a woman adds, "We all know that _they_ have visited us and interest has increased lately."

"What about her student, Lori Sanparri?" the woman adds. "There's almost nothing in the file on who she is."

The top man at the meeting slaps his hand down on the table. "Is any of this a threat to the United States?"

"Not directly, sir" the analyst answers. "It is in the sense that someone might get the technology involved…"

"Then it's a threat. As for Sanparri, it's above your paygrades."

"We can't let another nation get the high ground…" another man says.

"Agreed. Get authorization and funding for a special operation to _collect_ Kotomi Ichinose, Lori Sanparri, and everyone connected to them. We need control of whatever they're doing with that satellite."

"The Air Force is getting ready to try again with an X-37 to get a close look, but I'm being told there are still software problems" an analyst adds.

One of the managers strokes his chin. "This isn't the first case of us having major software or computer problems with something related to Ichinose. Remember the Boulder incident, or the one involving Treewater?"

 **CIA Langley**

Two executives sit in an office. One is thumbing through a folder. "Seems the NSA has pissed off some super intelligent alien…" They start laughing.

The second executive says, "Yea, serves those pencil necked computer nerds' right! So, we getting involved?"

The first guy looks at him. "We already are… Oh, this time the alien's a real looker!" He shows him a picture of Lori taken when she was in California.

"The funding authorization came in yesterday. We're collecting her and Ichinose."

Rama and Oaan have been aboard the ship for several days. They are applying the final outer magnesium skin over the ship.

"Damn it! The welding frame hung up again," Rama says.

"So, what do we do?" Oaan replies.

"I'm going to have to go out there and _adjust_ it."

"No, I'll go. You go out all the time. I haven't gotten a chance to spacewalk yet" Oaan says.

With Oaan suited up, Rama tells him, "All you have to do is look at it to see where it hung up or got cocked up. Make sure your safety line is hooked to the ship and then give it a swift kick."

Rama watches Oaan move outside the ship through a periscope and a camera. "That's it. Take your time," he says into an old military handset they're using as part of the comm system. It's a telephone system rather than radio for security purposes.

"Okay, I found the problem. One of the rollers hung up on the seam."

Rama can see him struggling with it.

"Got it! Try moving the frame now."

The frame starts to move aft.

"Okay, it looks like that got it. You can come back in now." Rama turns to the monitors on the welding frame to position it.

"Rama, stop the frame!" Oaan shouts. "Stop it! I'm caught…"

Rama stops the frame's movement and turns to look at the monitor with a view of Oaan. He's no longer tethered to the station and is drifting off into space. Rama can see him flailing about.

Rama floats over to the flight deck area and grabs a tablet. He scrolls through the emergency procedure, then puts the tablet down. He starts to cry.

Three days later the gravcoupe hauling a supply container arrives to relive the crew and bring a load of material for the ship.

"Where's Oaan?" Kotomi asks.

Rama looks at the deck avoiding eye contact. "He got disconnected in a spacewalk and drifted off. I couldn't save him."

As the ship neared completion, picking a crew became an issue.

"I and Murotsu cannot go" Lori tells Kotomi. "We are not from Earth and it has become clear that Merrin has an interest in your success or failure."

"Merrin?" Kotomi asks.

"Yes. He wants to see how the population and leaders of this world respond to the discovery of faster than light space travel. It is possible your success would unite the planet in a new age of space exploration."

 **NSA Headquarters**

The manager is standing in his office with several other people. The office has been trashed with files scattered everywhere, the desk and file cabinets rifled through. "How did someone get in here undetected?" he shouts.

"We're not sure sir. Security is reviewing the camera tapes now along with the entry logs…"

The manager exhales heavily. "Everybody out but Perkins!"

"Okay, Perkins, the Ichinose files. Do we still have a copy?"

"Yes sir. I found a backup tape and there's a hard copy available. Whoever did this was thorough. They got everything on Ichinose not just in this office but several others. All the system files are corrupted beyond recovery. A couple of our servers are seriously infected with a vicious new virus too."

The manager nods. "I just hope she doesn't start a nuclear war…"

"Excuse me?" Perkins replies.

"It's nothing."

Kotomi is taken up to the ship. Rama and Dannon are already aboard, having gone up to stay their turn. It takes them about an hour to get the ship ready to depart.

"Okay Lori, we're set. You can push us on our way" Kotomi radios while waving at her through one of the small windows on the ship.

Lori uses the gravcoupe to push the ship on its way. She heads the gravcoupe back to the planet after giving them a final wave good bye.

Kotomi starts the Hall Effect propulsion units and they head out to the FTL event horizon nearly 800,000 miles away. Dannon ignites two of the solid fuel booster rockets attached to the craft once the gravcoupe is clear. The trip will take them on a trajectory towards the moon then using its gravity to help them accelerate away from Earth.

"We have about five days until we reach the jump point" Kotomi tells her crew. Let's get all the system checks finished before then."

"You know, we never did name the ship" Dannon says.

"Yea, you're right!" Rama replies. "We have to do that!"

 **NSA headquarters**

'Sir, Ichinose's ship is moving! NASA has it plotted on a lunar trajectory. They think it is going to use lunar gravity for a speed boost."

"Where's it going? Does NASA know that?"

"Their best estimate is it's heading into open space. There's no calculable trajectory that takes it to somewhere like Mars."

"It isn't a threat then. Keep tracking it."

Dannon's face is pressed against the small window facing the moon. "I wish we had a better view."

"Move over, I want to get some pictures" Rama says, pushing on Dannon.

"Stop fighting back there. Don't make me turn this ship around!" Kotomi calls from the pilot's seat. "We have almost nine more hours in orbit. You'll have plenty of time for pictures."

With a war looming between North Korea and their neighbors, stock markets and other fund exchanges were becoming increasingly unstable. There were wild swings in them to the point it was almost gambling to invest.

The biggest concern was increasing military activity in the South China Sea by the US, China, Japan, and other nations along its periphery. Lori finds Russia and the US are holding other "Aliens," some from races she can identify.

Lori is in her villa looking at a holographic display of the area around the island. The US Navy has a large amphibious assault ship with two destroyers escorting it 35 miles from the island. A Chinese navy squadron of three destroyers is pacing it at a distance of twelve miles. The Russians have a Tu 95 shadowing nearby.

She zooms in on the US LHD. It is transmitting and receiving coded communications from a satellite link with a headquarters in the US. Suddenly she shuts down the holograph and rushes out to find Damien. On the way she passes Murotsu who is instructing her remaining students in sword fighting. "Kasakabe, the Americans are going to attack the compound."

She finds Damien talking with Chris. "Mister Vanoy, the Americans are going to assault this compound in approximately fifty minutes. They are about to launch six V 22 Osprey and two Harrier attack aircraft. We need to prepare for combat."

Damien stares at her. "Are you sure?" He shakes his head. "Of course you are. No, we won't fight. You need evacuate."

Chris looks at her. "I think it's time I got the hell out of here too. I'll need to do a final check on that bird and I'll see what I can do to hold the CIA off."

He opens up the side door to the Caribou. Sushulana is sitting inside with all of his gear arrayed out. Rifle, Shotgun, pistols, ammo, flak jacket, a bolo machete, a knife, and grenades beside them.

Chris chuckles. "I might have need for a few more items, but I think that about covers things. I doubt I'll be seeing this bird again once we land. If you think of something else I might need, bring it. I've got a lot of prepping to do and not much time."

Chris climbs aboard the Caribou and starts the engines, pulling out onto the tarmac and then the runway without as much as a wave. Chris dials up his sat-phone and sets it to speaker:

"Sgt. Major Bennett, over."

"Bennett, its Wyoming. Confirming your previous traffic."

"Confirmed, what's your location?"

"Airborne, headed towards Bugsuk."

"Can you confirm that intel?"

"Only what I know at the moment, but my source is good. Can we meet? I have intel that would be better in a face to face, a request from an old friend."

Chris hears shuffling back in the cargo hold. Looking over his shoulder he sees Sushulana coming towards the cockpit. "You do realize that this is a one way trip, right? That's why I didn't invite anyone."

"Yea, I know what you're planning. That's why we came to help, and maybe keep you alive a bit longer."

"We?"

"Zel and Luchaan. Kasakabe told them to come."

"You do realize Vondonna is going to kill me if one of them gets hurt?"

"Hey, we can take care of ourselves, we're Owato now!" Luchaan yells.

"No comments from the peanut gallery!" Chris replies. "Make yourselves look as military, and adult, as you can. We're meeting an old friend of mine."

"Who's this guy you're meeting?" Sushulana asks.

"I worked with him back when I was a contractor. He's the NCO running a spec ops unit, and someone smart enough to know how to react to a crazy situation. Plus he's one of the few people I'd trust to hear me out and back us up. We need back up this time."

Chris picks up his phone. "I'm airborne, do we have a location to meet at?"

"Copy. We're waiting at Bonbon on Bugsuk."

Chris continues on to the island. As he's on approach he sees a runway that might have done better as a field, and a V-22 Osprey on the ground by the tin shed that serves as a terminal. There are a few men in combat gear standing nearby. "Thank God for big tires, brakes, and reverse pitch props."

"Quiet back there," Chris chides as the plane comes to a stop. "Sushulana, keep an eye out. I'm going to go out and talk to them. If, it's not Bennett, or they betray us, do what you have to do to get the hell out of here with those kids."

"You don't trust him?" She asks.

"I never trust anyone. Keeps me alive. I'll be back"

Chris hops out of the plane, his duster flapping in the breeze as he walks towards the Osprey. He's got his rifle slung across his chest, and pistols on him, but he's not touching them and keeps the non-threatening posture of a man in a hurry.

The men on the ground start walking to meet him halfway. There is a bearded SEAL looking guy wearing civvies, a guy in a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses, and Bennet, who Chris recognizes, wearing an olive drab T-shirt and his last set of Tiger-stripe trousers, looking like he's been sleeping in them for the last few days.

Bennet casts a sidelong look at the Caribou.

The guy in the Hawaiian shirt speaks up. "What's going on? Did you bring Treewater, Sanparri, or Ichinose with you?"

Bennet was about to add something, but he simply shrugs at Chris nodding, " _Spill_."

Chris looks at Bennett. "The long version will have to wait, if there ever is one. Cliff Notes, got hired for a job by a very odd character. Pay was good, she saved my bacon, so I owed her. Plus it was only for a couple of days. Wound up caught in the middle of some serious shit. I wouldn't call it intrigue so much as sci-fi. Trust me, it's a whole different kind of weird. Got the plane as part of an escape plan of sorts. Wound up meeting that dude Vanoy your dork there mentioned." Chris jerks a thumb towards Hawaiian shirt guy.

"Vanoy was planning a rescue op, getting some kids out of a bad spot. I've got a soft spot for kids, so I signed up. The perks weren't bad and he was supposed to arrange for me to disappear for a couple of decades afterwards. You might've heard of that op, it was successful, if not as quiet as I'd have liked."

Chris gets deadly serious. "Scott, you know that I shoot straight. These operatives, they're Korean. The Northern kind. They're something we've never dealt with before. Hell, I'd never heard of anyone like them in all my time running around the Army or the merc world. They're more dangerous than nuclear bombs. That's why I called you. They're more dangerous than anything sitting in a silo at Minot."

The SEAL speaks up, his voice has an Arkansas or Missouri accent. "You got a fire-truck in that cargo bay, or what?"

Bennet shakes his head. "LT, not now. That's the plane used in that North Korean raid." He stares hard at Chris. "Staged from _MY_ damn base! I swear, if that raid wasn't the most altruistic thing that's happened since the last Pope was forced into an early retirement, your head would be pink mist now. Now you say you want to go in there alone with those... _things_?"

Mr. Hawaiian shirt speaks up, glancing at the plane from time to time. "I don't give a shit about some useless Norks. You bring any persons of interest with you or not?"

Chris looks directly at him. "This is no time for building intel…"

"Cut the crap. We want Sushulanna Treewater, Kotomi Ichinose, and Lori Sanparri. You have them with you, or know where they are, or not?"

Chris looks at Bennett. "Nope, I'm not all by my lonesome. I've got a couple of volunteers from the Nork team with me, but I don't know those names. You really don't get it do you?"

"Those North Korean operatives? The guy behind them, controlling them? All the major powers having forces in the South China Sea? That raid you made on Vanoy's compound? Every country in the region's on the edge of war…"

"We could give a shit about Vanoy," Mr. Hawaiian shirt says. "If you don't have the people I named with you, or detailed information on them, then you're worthless to us."

Sushi sits in the Caribou listening to them. "Damn! Damien's North Korean raid was manipulated by Merrin." She hits the side of the plane with her fist. "He set it up to precipitate a war. He let us go! He used us! Damien needed Kasakabe and me to go to North Korea and Merrin needed that raid to start a war. Pariah was right! Lori and Murotsu were catalysts for good and evil…"

She pounds her fist on the side of the plane, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Damn it! Damn it!"

At the compound chaos reigns as everyone prepares to flee. Damien and others work to move or hide compromising materials. The Indonesian government is contacted. Vondonna got the coaster underway, headed southwest away from the Island, most of the remaining kids aboard.

There is a blinding flash and thunderclap as Lori used a plasma grenade turning her villa into a smoldering crater and atomizing any evidence she or Kasakabe was there. As she and Murotsu prepare to leave in the gravcoupe, she tells Damien, "We will contact you once things are safe."

He nods giving them a small wave. "Good luck."

The gravcoupe, now with a crude coat of cheap black paint on it, lifts off and speeds out to sea skimming feet off the surface of the water.

"Bouvetøya?" Murotsu asks.

"Yes."

After a six hour flight they arrive at Bouvetøya. Wearing environmental suits, they get out and stretch. The wind is whipping across the island at nearly 40 knots. It is almost a struggle to stand in it. Low clouds and snow flurries sweep along with the wind.

Lori moves the gravcoupe into a rock outcropping below the island's glacier cap. In the face of it is an opening wide enough to fit the gravcoupe in as well as for living space. There is a portable building standing in the back of the space. The temperature in the cave is comfortable.

The US Navy SEAL team takes the compound without casualties. With their targets gone, they are at a loss. Indonesian troops and police have shown up turning their raid into an international incident.

"Goddamit! They knew about the raid. How?" the head intelligence officer back in the US says, pounding his fist on the table. "Now we're facing an international crisis. The Chinese are jumping in and so is Japan. Find them! NOW!"

 **FTL event horizon, 800,000 miles from Earth.**

The ship is motionless. The crew goes through their final checks before trying to make a jump. They have been sitting for nearly two hours while the computer makes all the calculations.

"Everything's ready" Kotomi says. "Dannon, start the turbine. Rama get ready to turn the generator on!"

The ship starts to vibrate as the turbine winds up. A loud jet engine-like roar fills the ship. The noise becomes deafening. Small items come loose, floating in the cabin.

"The ship's coming apart!" Dannon shouts.

"Rama now!" Kotomi waves her arm at him.

Rama turns the generator on. The ship shudders heavily and the roar changes pitch as the turbine loads up. Rama gives the others a thumbs up and a grin.

A bright light fills the cabin through the two small windows on the hull, making everyone wince. There is a sudden lurch, then outside it goes dark, completely dark.

The turbine starts to wind down until there is a silence aboard the ship. The whir of the ventilation fan is the only sound.

"Did it work?" Dannon asks, pressing her face to one of the windows. "Where'd the stars go? It's totally dark out there!"

"I think we did it" Kotomi replies. "Lori said it'd be totally dark outside."

"We'll know in a week, right?" Rama asks.

"Um, guys, we have a leak…" Dannon says pointing.

"Quick! Foam that sucker!" Rama grabs a can of foam sealant and floats over. He sprays the crack. An odor of chemicals fills the cabin.

"Is that stuff even safe to use in here?" Dannon asks.

Rama shrugs at her with a grin, squirting some more foam on the leak.

Dannon gives him the finger.

 **Gemini Observatory, Chile**

"What the…? Hey, that space probe NASA has us tracking? It just disappeared!"

A second astronomer comes over to look at the display. "Where'd it go?"

"It wasn't moving. Hadn't been for several hours. Then I looked back at the screen and it was gone!"

"Quick! Replay the last ten minutes of the recording."

They replay the video recording.

"Freeze it there! Look at that! What's that ring of light?"

"Don't know. I've never seen anything like that."

"Okay, advance it frame by frame."

They watch as the light collapses around the ship and both it and the ship disappear. The two astronomers look at each other, faces pale. "Call NASA!"

It has been a week. The inside of the ship is ripe with nasty odors. Rama and Dannon have hung little pine tree air fresheners in a hopeless attempt to keep the odor down. It is also uncomfortably muggy warm and condensate is on anything metal.

"Kasakabe told me to bring a bunch of these" Dannon giggles hanging up another one.

Rama pinches his nose and make a gagging face. "Now we know why! Hey Kotomi, next time buy an oxygen scrubber off the Americans instead of the Russians okay?"

"I feel like I'm in _Das Boote,_ that submarine movie," Dannon says.

"It's made in India not Russia" Kotomi replies.

"So that's why it smells like Delhi in here!" Dannon looks at Rama. "Should remind you of home."

Rama flips her off. "Up yours! Like you have room to talk being from that armpit of the universe, Somalia!"

"It should be any time now" Kotomi says. "Lori said with our calculations it might take longer to come out of jump so don't get too excited yet."

Rama is floating in the middle of the compartment eating a brownie from one of the food packs. "Yuk! These things are like eating chocolate flavored paste. Now I know why soldiers hate MRE's. Why didn't Lori give us some Ginsharian ones?

Dannon rolls her eyes. "You know why, moron!"

"Hey, have you heard the one about a Japanese, a Somali, and an Indian who walk into the Restaurant at the end of the Universe… Whoa! The stars are back!"

There's a rush to look out the view ports.

"Where are we?" Dannon whispers.

Kotomi and Dannon float over to the cockpit area and start the computer system.

"Rama, crank the solar panels open" Kotomi calls. "Then drop the marker satellite."

"Let's try to find some Class one or two stars for a fix, Dannon. I'll try the radio receiver."

After several hours, Dannon points at one of the dots on the computer display of stars. "That one there is the sun."

"That's what I have" Kotomi replies.

Rama looks at the compartment overhead rolling his eyes and crossing his fingers.

"So, how far did we go?" Dannon asks.

"Point four six one light years" Kotomi says. "We've travelled deeper into space than anything from Earth has! We're about two point seven one trillion miles from Earth right now!"

Rama produces a bottle of Champaign. "This calls for a toast!"

"We still have to get home" Kotomi replies. "If you open that in here, we won't be going!"

"Batteries are fully charged" Rama says.

"About damn time!" Dannon says, hands on hips. "We've been sitting here for three days!"

"Let's go home" Kotomi says.

They start the turbine.

Rama is looking out one of the view ports. "Did we make it?"

Dannon smacks him on the back of the head. "Idiot! You aren't going to be able to see the Earth. It's going to be a dot at most."

Rama points out the cabin window at a small blue ball. "Is that it there?"

Dannon flips him off. "Wise ass…"

"Dannon, Rama, get the solar panels out." Kotomi says. She starts sweeping the wide band radio receiver aboard looking for signals. The receiver crackles to life.

"We're home!" Kotomi says, with a big smile.

They hug each other.

They find they are 1,352, 400 miles from Earth, give or take a few thousand, and the trip will take almost two weeks.

"Can't we make it any faster?" Dannon asks. "We've been out here for almost a month now and all we've got left to eat are those nasty Russian food packs and the frozen burritos are getting old!"

"We have bigger problems," Kotomi replies. "We have one cylinder of oxygen left and we're out of CO2 absorbers."

"Yea, and there's stuff growing on the air conditioner coils…" Rama adds.

"We have to make a decision" Kotomi says as they approach Earth. "We can't reenter in this ship. Are we going to call Lori and have her get us, or do something else?"

"What else can we do?" Rama asks.

"You know we can't call Lori and she wouldn't come if we did," Dannon adds.

"We could go to the International Space Station and dock," Kotomi replies. "We could call for help from there."

Rama shrugs. "Whatever. I still want to celebrate." He holds the Champaign bottle up.

Dannon sits quietly. "Let's go there. You're right Kotomi, it's our fight. We have to beat Merrin. Damien, Lori, and Kasakabe would agree. Let's go and make Earth a space fairing world."

Kotomi smiles. "I think that's exactly what we need to do."

"That Champagne bottle's going to be worth like a million US dollars if you don't open it," Dannon says with a devious smile.

"Really?" Rama replies.

"That's very likely correct," Kotomi says. "You might want to save it for an auction."

Rama thrusts it up in the air. "Alright! I'm going to be fucking rich!"

"International Space Station, this is the star cruiser _Yamato_ , request permission to dock with you" Kotomi calls on their radio. Dannon and Rama are laughing hysterically.

"Station calling, say again?"

"ISS, this is the star cruiser _Yamato_ about six kilometers off your position requesting permission to dock."

Silence…

"Um, Yamato, where did you come from?"

"We just returned from a half light year jump out of the system. We really need to dock as we're just about out of everything. And the toilet's full."

 **NASA Houston**

"The ISS is calling us. They say the _star cruiser Yamato_ wants to dock with them!"

"What the hell kind of joke is that?" the mission controller on duty replies.

"It's not a joke, they have the ship on their external cameras!"

Silence…

"Can they even dock?"

"The ISS says they have a Soyuz compatible docking ring and hatch."

 **CIA Black site**

"I'm a US citizen!" Kotomi tells the man interrogating her.

"So?"

"I told you, I built a starship and made a successful faster than light jump out of our solar system and returned. I have proof! I'll share the design with everybody."

"No, you won't. The US has a national security interest in that design."

"Who's watching us?" Kotomi nods towards the mirrored glass wall.

He ignores her question rifling through some papers in front of him.

Kotomi is escorted back to a suite and locked in. She sits on the end of the king size bed and starts to cry. There's a hand on her shoulder.

"AAAAHHH!" She jumps up, holding her chest and breathing heavily.

Murotsu stands grinning at her, visor on her thermoptic camouflage suit now up.

"Murotsu! What're you _doing_ here?"

"Come check. Need anything?"

"They have me under surveillance" Kotomi replies. "They'll know you're here."

"Lori fix. Never here." Murotsu pulls out her pocket universe box. "Bring goodies." She hands Kotomi a bottle of sake, some expensive delicacies, and an Yves St. Laurent dress. "Mail."

She hands Kotomi a sheaf of papers. "Job offer. Many like now. Famous. Lori make sure. Go now. Talk head man. Like offer, or _die_. No worry. Free day, two, 'kay?"

Kotomi sits down shaking her head, still breathing hard.

Murotsu grins at her. "Never here. Job. Keep safe." She raises a fist with a determined expression. "Salamat!"

"Do you really think you can get them to let me go?"

"Let go or die 'til none left" Murotsu hisses, grinning evilly. "Lori tell." She taps her chest. "Make happen. Job." She shakes a hand at Kotomi. "Keep safe, make free. Word."

The next day Kotomi is taken to a conference room. Dannon and Rama are there.

A man in an expensive suit tugs at it, straightening the collar. "Miss Ichnose, you and your two compatriots are free to go on one condition. You agree to have a Secret Service detachment follow you and that any work you do is handed over to the US government before publication for review. Also, you have to remain inside the United States."

Kotomi looks at him skeptically. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

He smiles. "Let's just say we had an offer we couldn't refuse occur yesterday."

"How many of your agents died?" Kotomi replies, resting her chin on her folded hands. "Or, did all your computer systems suddenly crash?"

Dannon snickers. "Lori."

"Kasakabe" Rama utters choking down laughter.

"So you know" he says.

"I can guess" Kotomi replies. "You have no idea what you're up against. They're unstoppable."

"We know" he says. "They told us as much. If you cooperate, the US government will grant you as much autonomy as possible so long as any research you do goes to us first."

"My goal is to stop Merrin. Do you know who he is?"

The man shoves a folder to Kotomi. "Old news. Your having successfully made a faster than light ship ended that problem. Every major power on the planet is trying to build one now. World War Three is no longer even a question."

"That's right Miss Ichnose, you and your companions saved the world. No one will know for a century, but you did it. Now, it's your task to make us, America, the leading space power. Is that so much for us to ask in return for your freedom?"

Kotomi sits in her office at Cal Tech. She has a grant with virtually unlimited funding, and a lab to continue her research. She's talking to a colleague on the phone.

The door opens. It is Pariah. "Hello Kotomi."

"I'll call you back" Kotomi says, hanging up the phone. "Hello. I didn't expect to see you Pariah."

"The name is _Merrin,_ Kotomi."

Kotomi goes pale and visibly shivers.

Merrin smiles. "You succeeded and saved your world. For that I'll grant you a wish."

Kotomi is about to say something when her world goes into a spinning black vertigo. This lasts only a moment and Kotomi finds herself wobbling as the world spins dizzily around her. She collapses to her knees and vomits.

There is a hand on her shoulder. "Kotomi, are you undamaged?"

Kotomi gasps for air. _It's Lori! "Thank god!_ "Yes, what happened?" She looks up. She's in the middle of a dark forest of tall 'pine' trees. It is cold and there are patches of snow on the ground. In the sky in addition to the "Sun" is a bright red "moon" and a second moon much like Earth has, only smaller and distinctly orange in color. _We aren't on Earth anymore! Where are we?_

Lori helps her sit up. Murotsu stands nearby with Dannon and Rama sitting on the ground next to her. Sushi twirls around off to one side, arms out.

"You are in the year fifty six forty five, by your calendar, on the world Mariposa in the Factory Rock system. This is my and Murotsu's home."

"We called for transport. It will arrive in seventy nine minutes. We are in the Backlands Forest on the opposite side of the planet from civilization. You need to be alert. There are wild Lamura Gav roaming this part of the planet."

"Did Merrin…?" Kotomi starts to say.

"Send all" Murotsu replies waving her arm at the group.

Sushi stops mid spin. "The bastard banished me here with you guys. Lori says if I tell people I'm a Darrian no one'll pay attention to me." She gives one of her long pointed ears a tug, smiling.

Kotomi's brow furrows. "So, what can I do here?"

Lori smiles. Murotsu and I have jobs we _must_ do. Dannon and Rama will find employment to suit their skills and temperament. Miss Treewater will do fine."

"You Kotomi, have the opportunity to help create a world and a new civilization." Lori hugs her. "It is everything you told me you wanted to experience."

"We're outdoors" Kotomi says.

"No, we are home" Lori squeezes Kotomi. "I cannot wait to introduce you to my sisters!"

160


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 **After Story**

The group is picked up by a ship's boat. Dannon and Rama stare, mouths hanging open as it floats less than a meter off the ground. It looks almost like a better version of Kotomi's ship.

"We should have had it like this on the _Yamato_!" Rama says, running his hand over one of the seats.

The interior looks like that of a luxurious business jet times ten. An immaculately groomed young man in a business suit stands at the door. He bows slightly his hand beckoning them to enter the vessel. He smiles at Lori. "Welcome aboard Kapitan Lori Sixteen." As Murotsu enters he nods deeply, maintaining eye contact, "Welcome Boss Lady Kasakabe."

Lori stiffens to attention, clicking her heels together. "Understood."

Murotsu ignores him and heads to a seat.

 _It's another Ginsharian_ Kotomi thinks.

The man looks at her with a hurt expression. "My apologies. I was told you were familiar with Ginsharians. I do not understand your surprise."

Kotomi gasps slightly. "I've only met Lori. We were… Close for the last few years. This is my first time meeting another Ginsharian."

"Understood" he replies, his smile making Kotomi smile back. "Please, make yourself… at home."

Lori turns to Kotomi. "Alex is a diplomatic model."

Alex smiles nodding slightly.

Sushi exhales heavily, rolling her eyes. "If the family reunion's done, where's the fucking bar on this yacht?"

Murotsu spins in a blur slapping her hard enough to almost knock her down. She shakes her fist at Sushi. "Show respect, or _die._ " Murotsu taps herself. "Go meet _**my**_ boss. Disrespect, _die_. Psi no save."

Kotomi watches this exchange intensely. _Murotsu's scared? How is that possible?_ "Sushi, please, this time be polite, for me, okay?"

Sushi looks at Kotomi, then at Lori and Alex who have their eyes fixed on her and are poised as if ready to draw hidden weapons. "Okay, okay, I get it. I'll be nice."

The boat lifts off. "We will be at Baysania in sixty eight minutes" Alex announces.

A young lady resembling Lori only with honey colored hair and turquoise eyes comes into the cabin carrying a tray of drinks and snacks.

Rama elbows Dannon snickering. "Bunny suit!"

Dannon rolls her eyes, jabbing him back. "Pervert."

The girl starts passing out the drinks and snacks. It seems as if she knows exactly what everyone would want as she sets them down Kotomi notes.

Upon landing, Lori leaves ahead of everyone else. The others are politely herded towards a huge mansion. Kotomi looks around at the manicured grounds as if she were in some sort of fairy tale.

Kasakabe looks at the others nervously. "Meet Dragon Lady, Baron. Bow deep. Extra polite. Insult _**die.**_ "

Kotomi whispers to Dannon and Rama, "They're probably like emperors or war lords. Kneel on the floor, stay face down, and don't say anything, okay?"

They are taken to a huge office at the end of a long hallway lined with small sculptures, paintings, and opulent decorations. The office screams wealth and power are present. Kotomi feels a shiver go up her spine. As they are going in, Lori rejoins the group.

A man with a flattop in a dark grey suit sits in a plush chair sipping from a china coffee cup reading what looks like a tablet-computer that's as thick as a sheet of paper. He barely looks up at them.

They are standing in front of a middle-aged Asian looking woman sitting behind a massive desk. She's wearing a maroon colored dress with gold and jewels decorating it. Sitting on one corner of the desk is a peaked cap similar to the one Lori wore with her uniform. Along the walls there are a dozen black colored robots or suits of armor standing holding odd looking "rifles."

Another man, who has some resemblance to Kasakabe, in a black suit kneels on one knee with both hands in fists on the floor on beside the desk. Kasakabe gets down on one knee like him. Lori and Alex come to rigid attention.

Kotomi puts her hands out pushing on Dannon and Rama. "Get down, like Kasakabe," she whispers.

A young woman enters the room from a side door. She has an athletic build, shoulder length orange hair and stunningly blue eyes. She's in a red bejeweled dress that blazes with color, and is wearing a jeweled tiara.

The woman at the desk turns to her, without getting up. "Princess Baysan, how nice you could join us." The seated man motions her to a seat next to his.

Sushi, still casually standing, rolls her eyes and sighs heavily.

The woman at the desk stares at her through slits, jaw clinched, fingers drumming the desktop.

The man in the chair sips from his cup. "You might show some respect Miss Treewater. Your powers won't work in this room." He casually points with his cup at the suits of armor that suddenly come to life and level their "rifles" at her. "Our Ginsharian marines can atomize you with a word. What will it be?"

Sushulana looks around the room. She seems trapped, looking for an exit. Her shoulders slump and she sighs getting down on her knees. "Happy?"

"Kasakabe," the lady at the desk growls.

Murotsu jumps up, bowing to the lady at the desk slightly, and delivers a brutal kick to the side of Sushi's head, sending her sprawling. "Hörmak göstärmak, yoxsa ölumak!" (Be respectful, otherwise you're dead)

The lady at the desk points a bronzish colored, odd looking weapon at her. "She means it. I mean it."

Sushi wipes some of the blood from her lip, looking at it. Murotsu stands over her poised to attack. Sushi gets down on her knees and bows. "Sorry, my Lady."

"Kasakabe, your mission?" the lady snaps.

Murotsu whips around, kneeling, fists on the floor, head down instantly. "Success Dragon Lady. Target dead. Never there."

"You took a month longer than expected to return. Lori, where's your sister?"

Lori, still at attention, "Sixteen needed repair. She downloaded and sent me in her place."

Kotomi eyes Lori carefully. _I knew there was something different about her! That's a different Lori!_

"So, what's going on here Lori?" the lady at the desk asks.

"Lady Hao, Lori Sixteen and Kasakabe were somehow transported thirty six hundred years into the past to the Solomani world Terra where they engaged an _Ancient_ in battle over five standard years, one hundred forty seven days before returning here. They were successful in defeating, but not destroying, him. Before you are those who made his defeat possible."

"It is possible this event gave the Solomani FTL capability and created the foundation of the Ral Ranta Empire and Owato Clan."

"I look forward to reading your full report Lori," the man says as he pours himself another cup from a small pot on a table next to his chair.

The woman at the desk stands hands spread on the desk. "I am Kai Lei Hao, Dragon Lady of the Owato Clan." She extends an arm towards the man and young lady. "This is Baron Yuri Shapurin my husband. We rule this world, this star system, and everything in it. Beside him is Princess Baysan Temirzhan. She too is Owato and part of this world's nobility. You are neither nobility, Ginsharian, nor ranked syndicate. That makes you commoners. Remember your place at all times."

She slides a sheet like the one Baron Shapurin is reading in front of her. "While _Aliens_ are normally not allowed to remain on Mariposa, your knowledge of Ginshar, Ginsharians, and Owato will allow you to. You appear to have value to us. I am going to make each of you an offer. It is yours to accept or refuse. If you refuse, I will have you moved to Factory Rock where you can reside or travel elsewhere. The only requirement is you say nothing to anyone about what transpired on Terra or here. Do and you're dead. Owato and Ginshar _will_ hunt you down and kill you as well as anyone you talked to. There is no place in the known universe for you to hide."

"If you accept, you may remain here in our employ. You'll be free to travel elsewhere when you like so long as you say nothing to anyone about this world or what transpired on Terra." She points at Kotomi, Dannon, and Rama, "I offer the three of you positions with Shapurin Heavy Industries. You'd be working on, and operating, spacecraft."

"You Miss Ichinose, can later interview with Doctor Zan and BioGen ZIP for a research position once you're comfortable here. From what I'm told of your background you'll fit in there quite well. The pay and facilities are extremely attractive. Zan and her team can use another brilliant mind. I also believe, that you and Zan are of like mind when it comes to ethics and morality. That should make things more attractive to you."

Kai turns to Sushulana. "As for you Miss Treewater, Owato might have need of your unique services from time to time. In exchange, we grant you a thousand rood of land in the Backlands Forest, where you arrived, as your personal estate. The wild Lamura Gav should keep you busy. In return, you _will_ agree to do the occasional _favor_ for Owato."

Sushi looks up at her without getting up. "What kind of favors are we talking about here?"

Kai smiles. "Acquisition. There is some possibility we might ask you assist in ridding us of an annoyance, but that is unlikely. Acquisition is what interests us in you."

"So, you want a thief?"

"In a word, yes. What's it to be?"

177


End file.
